Category: Featured Headlines
Bird flu detected in pigs – here’s why virologists are concerned
The Conversation H5N1 influenza has now been detected in pigs. This was something virologists had been worrying about ever since this highly pathogenic strain of bird flu started its rapid global spread in 2020. But why were we worrying specifically about pigs? And does this case – detected on a farm in Oregon on October 29 – […]
Nov 5, 2024
Bird Flu in Pigs Is One Step Closer to Endangering Humans
Bloomberg If a pig infected with human flu got infected with the H5N1 bird flu, a new virus could emerge with parts of both. That’d be bad. When the USDA issued an announcement on Oct. 30 that the worrisome H5N1 bird flu turned up in a pig, I dropped what I was doing to read it. The situation […]
Nov 5, 2024
Three people with bird flu traveled to Oregon during Washington State outbreak
KOIN.com A week after Washington reported human cases of bird flu in the state, officials have announced that three of those cases had traveled to Oregon during their infection and were monitored during their stay. All three cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) were reported in Washington after they were exposed to poultry that tested […]
Nov 5, 2024
Health Departments Struggle to Track Human Cases of Bird Flu
MedPageToday Bird flu cases have more than doubled in the country within a few weeks, but researchers can’t determine why the spike is happening because surveillance for human infections has been patchy for 7 months. Just this week, California reported its 15th infection in dairy workers and Washington state reported seven probable cases in poultry workers. Hundreds […]
Oct 30, 2024
U.S. death from Lassa fever, an Ebola-like virus, is reported in Iowa
STAT A person from Iowa who recently returned to the United States from West Africa has died after contracting Lassa fever, a virus that can cause Ebola-like illness in some patients. State health officials reported the case on Monday. “I want to assure Iowans that the risk of transmission is incredibly low in our state. […]
Oct 29, 2024
CDC A(H5N1) Bird Flu Response Update October 29, 2024
CDC CDC continues to respond to the public health challenge posed by a multistate outbreak of avian influenza A(H5N1) virus, or “H5N1 bird flu,” in dairy cows, poultry and other animals in the United States. CDC is working in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Administration for […]
Oct 29, 2024
From poultry to public health: Understanding the H5N1 threat
DVM360 Unpacking the current threat landscape Avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1), commonly known as bird flu, has had an increase in human cases in the United States recently, particularly among poultry and dairy workers. H5N1 has primarily circulated in the Midwest, with these cases raising concerns about potential human transmission and broader public health implications. Understanding […]
Oct 29, 2024
More Washington state egg farm workers sick with avian flu; CDC sends help for outbreak
The Chronicle The number of workers at a Franklin County commercial egg farm who have now tested positive for avian influenza has increased to eight, according to preliminary test results. The outbreak at the large farm has the first human cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or H5N1, known in the state of Washington. Of […]
Oct 29, 2024
Bovine H5N1 influenza from infected worker transmissible and lethal in animal models
NIH A highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus, isolated from the eye of a farm worker who became infected through contact with dairy cows, was lethal in mice and ferrets infected in a high-containment laboratory environment, according to a new study in Nature. The study investigators also found that the virus isolated from the worker, […]
Oct 29, 2024
California Becomes Hot Spot for Bird Flu Cases in Cows, Sparking Fears
Bloomberg Dairy farmers in California are grappling with a steadily advancing outbreak of avian flu in their herds – a problem few of them want to talk about publicly, but that none of them can afford to ignore. Bird flu has been reported in more than 170 herds in California since late August, with the […]
Oct 29, 2024