BTN News: Meanwhile, as it enters its third year and the sixth continent of the avian flu outbreak, the situation continues to grow more troubling. An important caveat is that experts caution that covid-19 remains a wild card. It is low risk to public health right now but no one knows what will happen with it. The virus has been particularly devastating for U.S. commercial poultry, costing chicken-and-duck farmers millions in financial losses and rekindling fears about its ability to mutate and spread.
From March, a total of 94 dairy herds have been infected with avian flu in 12 states, with the former CDC Director Robert Redfield warning of a bird flu pandemic. Redfield said it is just a question of when not if the virus will mutate and become a bigger menace to mankind. The agricultural implications of the virus have been great including just in the U.S. from 2022 the loss of 80 million chickens and 14 million turkeys, 71 million of which were egg layers, killing egg layers on the spot and laying hens within a day or two.
Human infections by Mammalian Transmission
The flu has spread among 31 states, afflicting not just birds but also a menagerie of mammals – ranging from foxes, skunks, and mountain lions to household cats. That brought the total number of farm worker cases to four this year alone, following a case in early 2022. Fortunately, they all recovered from mild symptoms which included a cough nonfebrile and conjunctivitis. That said, the virus still needs to mutate quite a lot to bind to human receptors and thus is not transmissible from human to human as of yet.
Challenges in Creating an Avian Flu Vaccine
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is leading efforts to create an avian flu vaccine to prevent further spread among dairy herds and possibly extend the reach of the virus. A vaccine for cattle is being worked on by 24 companies, something that would mean an end to the economic nightmare of dairy farmers. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack added, it could be years before the vaccine works. Meanwhile, the USDA’s lab in Ames, IA, is doing entrywork for vaccine development.
Precautionary Measures of the European Union
The bird flu crisis in Europe is prompting countermeasures. The European Union was also said to have secured 40 million doses of a coronavirus vaccine for 15 states, with particular attention to those currently most affected by the respiratory virus. The European Union, meanwhile, is also moving quickly to purchase as many as 665,000 doses of vaccine from Australia-based CSL Seqirus, according to a Friday security filing by the manufacturer. The agreement secures access to flexible vaccines over the next four years. Vaccines have been made available to high-risk populations in Finland, making it the first country in Europe to do so.
Number of Human Cases and Deaths by Continent
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 912 human H5N1 cases have occurred in 15 countries since 1997, most after close contact with infected birds. Unfortunately, around 50% of these cases show fatality, highlighting the importance of local containment strategies in the event that this virus mutates to adapt human to human transmission.
