Category: Emerging Infectious Diseases
Why The U.S. Could Be Making The Same Mistakes With Bird Flu As It Did With COVID-19
Forbes The first severe case of bird flu occurred last month in a Louisiana man hospitalized after having had contact with sick birds in a backyard flock. In addition, the state of California recently declared a state of emergency as the bird flu virus continues to spread among livestock in the state. To date, there have been […]
Jan 7, 2025
Chicago: Bald eagle found in Hinsdale felled by bird flu
Chicago Tribune Scientists find ‘conclusive’ evidence of spillover infections from wild birds in the east Asian country – home to five million horses. Horses are silent carriers of H5N1 bird flu, a new study from the University of Glasgow has found. Testing of horses in Mongolia found that several had antibodies for H5N1, indicating prior […]
Jan 7, 2025
Another raw pet food H5N1 bird flu recall. More sick cats in L.A. County
Los Angeles Times After another raw pet food recall and a cluster of H5N1 bird-flu-infected cats, Los Angeles county public health officials are re-upping their warning to pet owners: Stop feeding your dogs and cats raw pet food. A recall has been issued on San Jacinto-based Monarch Raw Pet Food, whose raw poultry products are […]
Jan 7, 2025
The Emerging Threat of H5N1 to Human Health
NEJM Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) emerged in 1997.1 Since then, it has spread globally by migratory birds, resulting in infections in animals on every continent. HPAI A(H5N1) clade 2.3.4.4b emerged in 2021 and resulted in fatal infections in poultry as well as terrestrial and marine mammals.1 In early 2024, influenza A infection was first recognized […]
Jan 7, 2025
Critical Illness in an Adolescent with Influenza A(H5N1) Virus Infection
NEJM Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses are circulating among wild birds and poultry in British Columbia, Canada.1 These viruses are also recognized to cause illness in humans. Here, we report a case of critical illness caused by influenza A(H5N1) virus infection in British Columbia. On November 4, 2024, a 13-year-old girl with a history of […]
Jan 7, 2025
Canadian teen with avian flu is off oxygen, no longer infectious, health officials tell medical journal
CBC Source of 13-year-old girl’s exposure hasn’t been determined, letter to New England Journal of Medicine says. A letter sent to the editor of The New England Journal of Medicine signed by Canadian health officials says the British Columbia teenager who tested positive for avian flu has been taken off supplemental oxygen and is no longer […]
Jan 7, 2025
PAHO launches interactive dashboard to monitor avian influenza A(H5N1) in the Americas
PAHO The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has launched an interactive dashboard to monitor avian influenza A(H5N1) cases in the Americas. This tool is designed to improve access to data on outbreaks of this disease in birds, mammals, and humans, providing key information for public and animal health authorities. The dashboard features tables and maps showing outbreaks […]
Jan 7, 2025
What We Know About HMPV, the Virus Spreading in China
NYT While cases are climbing in China, the situation is very different from what it was when Covid-19 emerged five years ago, medical experts say. HMPV is common and decades old. Reports of a surge in cases of a respiratory virus in China have evoked dark echoes of the start of the Covid-19 pandemic almost […]
Jan 7, 2025
Sick Season Is in Full Force. Here’s What’s Going Around
Time The holidays came with a side of flu for many Americans, with 40 states reporting high or very high levels of illness last week, according to the latest government health data. “A lot of flu out there,” said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Carrie Reed. Of course, there are a number of bugs […]
Jan 7, 2025
First H5 Bird Flu Death Reported in United States
CDC CDC is saddened by Louisiana’s report that a person previously hospitalized with severe avian influenza A(H5N1) illness (“H5N1 bird flu”) has passed away. While tragic, a death from H5N1 bird flu in the United States is not unexpected because of the known potential for infection with these viruses to cause severe illness and death. […]
Jan 7, 2025