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A goat in Minnesota has tested positive for thehighly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), or bird flu, marking the first U.S. case of bird flu in domestic cattle, sheep, goats or their relatives.
The positive juvenile goat was residing on a Stevens County farm that already had bird flu infected poultry, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health announced Wednesday. All poultry on the property were already quarantined from the HPAI detection in February.
Following the goats positive result, the board says it quarantined all other species on the premises and is working with the Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) to investigate the transmission of the virus in the case.
File photo: A baby goat sticks his head through a fence in New York. (Lori Van Buren/Albany Times Union via Getty Images)
'ZOMBIE DEER DISEASE' CONCERNS SCIENTISTS OVER POSSIBLE SPREAD TO HUMANS
"This finding is significant because, while the spring migration is definitely a higher risk transmission period for poultry, it highlights the possibility of the virus infecting other animals on farms with multiple species," Dr. Brian Hoefs, the state veterinarian, said in a statement.
"Thankfully, research to date has shown mammals appear to be dead-end hosts, which means theyre unlikely to spread HPAI further."
The board says the risk to the public is extremely low, and any risk of infection is limited to people in direct contact with infected animals. To date, nobody in the U.S. has become ill following contact with mammals infected with this virus.
HPAI is a serious disease that requires rapid response because it is highly contagious and is often fatal to chickens, the Dept. of Agriculture says.
According to the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, the owner in the goat case notified the agency earlier this month of unusual deaths of newly kidded goats on the property where a backyard poultry flock was depopulated due to HPAI in February.
The goats and poultry had access to the same space, including a shared water source, the board said in a press release.
One of the goat carcasses was taken to the University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (VDL), where it tested positive for influenza A. The National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) later confirmed it was H5N1 HPAI, the same virus circulating in the national outbreak that began in 2022.
Millions of chickens, turkeys and other birds were slaughtered this year because of the outbreak.
Chickens walk in a fenced pasture at an organic farm in Iowa in 2015. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)
WISCONSIN DEER FARM INFECTED WITH FATAL BRAIN DISEASE
Samples from the adult goats were negative for HPAI and all appeared healthy with no more sick goat kids being reported since March 11.
HPAI has been previously diagnosed in other mammalian species such as skunks, dogs and cats.
Animals with weakened or immature immune systems, like the goat kids in this case, are at higher risk of contracting disease, the board said.
There are no prior reports of natural HPAI infection in goats.
A turkey from Old Glory Farm in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. (Fox News Digital/ Jon Michael Raasch)
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There has been limited experimental data on HPAI infection in ruminants, and USDA has tracked more than 200 detections of HPAI in mammalsacross the country since the start of the 2022 HPAI outbreak.
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) provided recommendations for personal protective equipment and is monitoring the health of those in direct contact with the infected goats.
Any person who develops respiratory or gastrointestinal symptoms after exposure to the goats may be voluntarily tested for avian influenza and other respiratory pathogens.
CLEVELAND, Ohio Ohio for weeks has had some of the highest flu rates in the country, with Cuyahoga County leading the state in flu-related hospitalizations.
But theres another side to the trend. Hospitalizations in Cuyahoga County are actually down this year over a year ago. In fact, outside of two COVID-19 seasons when flu reports dropped to very low levels, this could end up being the lowest year for flu-related hospitalizations in the county since 2015-16.
And county health officials have rated overall flu activity as low for much of the current season.
How could Cuyahoga County be ranked No. 1 for hospitalizations and the rate per 100,000 residents, yet be reporting low flu activity for the last seven straight weeks? The Ohio Department of Health deferred to the county.
Flu activity levels are calculated using factors beyond just hospitalizations, said Vino Panakkal, epidemiologist supervisor at the Cuyahoga County Board of Health.
The flu activity rating is determined by the county through four variables: hospitalizations, school absenteeism, emergency department activity, and over-the-counter medication sales, Panakkal said. These are many of the same criteria the state uses to monitor flu activity.
For example, for the week ending March 10, the county reported 62 flu-related hospitalizations, school absenteeism for any illness at 4% (a flu breakdown was not available), 200 emergency-room visits for flu-like symptoms, and about 230 over-the-counter sales of flu medicines and thermometers.
For that particular week, versus the same week the previous year, numbers were up slightly, with the exception of being down for the medicine sales. But both emergency room visits and medicine/thermometer sales through the season have been running below the five-year median.
As for hospitalizations, the county to date this season has accounted for 12.1% of the flu hospitalizations statewide, down from 13% a year ago. In some years it has been much higher, such as 18.7% in 2019-20, 17.2% in 2015-16 and 16.1% in 2017-18, according to the Ohio Department of Health.
And in pure numbers, in comparison to the 922 hospitalizations so far this flu season, there were 1,156 at this time last season. Season totals in recent years have been as high as 2,769 in 2017-18 and 2,060 in 2019-20.
Yet Cuyahoga County has a rate of 7.83 flu-related hospitalizations this season per 100,000 residents the highest in Ohio, according to state data released Friday.
That rate is well above the hospitalization rates for other populous counties, such as Franklin, home of Columbus (5.57); Hamilton, home of Cincinnati (5.17); and Montgomery, home of Dayton (5.29).
Additionally, the share of hospitalizations in Cuyahoga County has shrunk over the last few weeks.
Theres no research on why Cuyahoga has higher hospitalizations than other counties, Panakkal said.
Statewide, Ohios level of flu activity is ranked very high, after weeks of increasing flu spread, according to CDC. Only Ohio, Nebraska and the District of Columbia were rated as very high for influenza spread in the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention map released on Friday, though the data used for the update lags by a week.
Through early March, Cuyahoga County had seen nine flu-related deaths, down from 16 at the same time last year, Panakkal said.
The flu season typically runs from October to May.
(Flu activity) is definitely not as high as it was last year, Panakkal said.
Elsewhere regionally, Summit County reported moderate flu activity, and Medina Countys flu activity is under its five-year average. Ashtabula Countys flu activity is running low to moderate.
Yet, flu activity is high in Lorain County, and some indicators are above five-year averages in Geauga and Lake counties.
Nationally, CDCs preliminary assessment puts this season as moderate for all ages.
Panakkal said she needed a more in-depth look at flu county vaccine data to determine why flu spread is low to moderate in Cuyahoga and some nearby counties, but high in the rest of the state. Nationally, just under half the people have received the vaccine.
After five weeks of sharp decline between late December and early February, the number of weekly flu hospital admissions nationally has been trending downward slightly since mid-February.
The CDC estimates that there have been at least 28 million illnesses, 310,000 hospitalizations, and 20,000 deaths across the country from flu so far this season.
The CDC ranks a flu seasons severity by looking at the number of Americans who sought medical care for flu-like illness, how many were hospitalized for flu, and how many flu deaths occurred.
The effectiveness of this seasons flu vaccine against the influenza A and B strains in circulation this winter helped slow spread of the virus and protected those who got the jab from serious illness, health experts say.
The flu shot was as much as 44% effective in preventing flu-related hospitalizations in adults, and up to 61% effective in preventing flu-related hospitalizations in children, said a recent CDC report. Its about the same as in previous years.
Thats pretty good, especially for children, Panakkal said.
This influenza season has followed the usual cadence of peaking in December and early January, then decreasing in March, Panakkal said. The flu season officially ends in May.
However, everyone should remain vigilant against all of the winter respiratory viruses influenza, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus as winter winds down. These viruses can cause severe illness, especially in the elderly and people with weakened immune systems, Panakkal said.
More than 100 children have died of the flu this season across the country, according to the CDC, though there have been no pediatric deaths reported in the Cleveland area. Children with underlying health problems are more at risk for severe outcomes if they catch influenza.
Flu prevention measures, including getting a flu vaccine, practicing good hygiene such as frequent hand washing, and staying home when sick.
Flu activity locally and nationally was much higher in the years prior to COVID-19. For instance, Cuyahoga County ended the 2019-20 flu season with 39 flu-related deaths and more than 2,000 hospitalizations numbers far above this seasons statistics, Panakkal said.
Something similar has been seen in Ashtabula County, said Elizabeth Holden, emergency preparedness coordinator/epidemiologist for Ashtabula County Health Department.
The influenza virus is constantly adapting and mutating. The COVID-19 pandemic has surely impacted the way the virus interacts with its hosts, Holden said.
During the height of COVID-19 response, influenza-associated hospitalizations in Ashtabula County decreased. Since the 2022-2023 flu season cases have begun to return to normal numbers, Holden said.
Researchers arent certain why the flu has been less severe post-COVID-19, Panakkal said. Increased awareness overall about vaccines in general and the importance of hand washing, along with more acceptance of mask wearing and staying home when sick, may be among the contributing factors, she said.
Among Cuyahoga and its surrounding counties, Lake County has seen the highest number of flu-related deaths this season at 11, followed by Summit County with eight and Geauga County with seven, while Ashtabula County has recorded zero flu-related deaths, according to data available through March 9.
There were two deaths reported each in Lorain and Medina counties. Portage County health officials said they do not receive reports on flu deaths.
In Lake and Geauga counties, the current influenza season is worse than the previous five-year average, said epidemiologist Joseph Rombough, who has access to data from Lake and Geauga counties.
In Geauga County, there were 68 flu-related hospitalizations so far this season, more than in the entire previous flu season, Rombough said.
There have been slightly more Lake County flu-related hospitalizations so far this season (171), than the entire 2022-23 flu season (163), according to county data. Rombough said.
Elsewhere, after Cuyahoga Countys 922 hospitalizations, there have been 314 for Summit, 237 for Lorain, 121 for Medina and 70 for Ashtabula. No data was available for Portage County.
Julie Washington covers healthcare for cleveland.com. Read previous stories at this link.
A baby goat in Minnesota tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, marking the first time the virus has been found in a domestic ruminant in the U.S.
Earlier this month, a farm owner in Stevens County reported that newborn goats had mysteriously died following the removal of a poultry flock in February due to HPAI, according to theMinnesota Board of Animal Health.
The board noted that since the goats and poultry shared the same area and water supply on the farm, they took one of the dead goats for testing, which then came back positive for influenza A, and later confirmed as H5N1.
This finding is significant because, while the spring migration is definitely a higher-risk transmission period for poultry, it highlights the possibility of the virus infecting other animals on farms with multiple species, Minnesota state veterinarian Dr. Brian Hoefs said in a press release. Thankfully, research to date has shown mammals appear to be dead-end hosts, which means theyre unlikely to spread HPAI further."
The H5N1 outbreak was first reportedin Feb. 2022, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture found the strain on a Midwest poultry farm.
Since then, the USDA reports that over 82 million birds in the U.S. have been impacted across 48 states.
While it does mostly affect birds, the virus has alsospread to over 200 mammalsacross the U.S., such as foxes, skunks, mountain lions, bears, squirrels and sea lions.
The Centers for Disease Control and Preventioncautions the publicto be on alert if their domestic animals come into contact with an infected bird, potentially exposing them to the virus.
Trending stories at Scrippsnews.com
Norovirus, the extremely contagious stomach bug which leads to diarrhea and vomiting, is spreading in the United States. As spring nears, norovirus cases continue to climb across the country, surging in the Northeast and South.
Respiratory virus activity may be slowing down, but the 2023-2024 norovirus season is still well underway. Nationally, norovirus is circulating at the highest levels since last April, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Norovirus, also known as the "stomach flu" or food poisoning, spreads easily among people in enclosed settings. As cases and outbreaks spike across the U.S., public health officials are urging Americans to take precautions to stop the spread.
Although norovirus is commonly called the stomach flu, it is not related to the flu, which is caused by influenza viruses.
Norovirus is a leading cause of acute gastroenteritis, or an inflammation of the lining of the stomach and intestines, per the CDC. This can result in intense bouts of vomiting, diarrhea, nausea and stomach cramps.
Symptoms usually begin 12 to 48 hours after exposure these are often sudden and very unpleasant, but most people will recover on their own.
This is the dreaded virus that leaves us in the bathroom for about a day or two, weve all been there, NBC News medical contributor Dr. Tara Narula said on TODAY in a segment on Feb. 27.
Norovirus is highly contagious, and anyone can become infected. Every year in the U.S., it causes about 20 million cases of vomiting and diarrhea, 465,000 emergency room visits, 109,000 hospitalizations and 900 deaths,per the CDC.
Although norovirus can spread year-round, outbreaks are most common during the late fall, winter, and early spring. As of late March, norovirus cases are still climbing in the U.S.
According to the latest data from laboratories across the country reporting to the CDC, the rate of norovirus tests coming back positive, averaged over three weeks,was over 12.2% as of Mar. 9 up from about 9% in mid-January.
Outbreaks have also been rising steadily in recent months. From Aug. 1, 2023 to Feb. 12, 2024, there were 759 norovirus outbreaks reported by the 15 states participating in the CDCs NoroSTAT surveillance program. During the same period the last seasonal year, there were 521 norovirus outbreaks reported.
Currently,norovirusoutbreak activityin the United States is within the range we would expect for this time of year and is within the range reported during the same time periods in previous years, a spokesperson for CDC tells TODAY.com.
We generally see an increase during winter and are continuing to monitor this," the CDC spokesperson added.
Outbreaks of norovirus are impacting communities nationwide, but certain regions of the country are getting hit harder than others.
The Northeast has the highest positivity rate of any region, and norovirus is currently circulating at the highest levels since April of last year. The percent of tests coming back positive in the Northeast, averaged over three weeks, was nearly 14% as of Mar. 9 and over 15% in February, per the latest CDC data.
Cities such as Philadelphia have reported spikes in norovirus outbreaks, prompting public health officials to urge residents to take precautions, NBC Philadelphia reported.
"Data from thenortheastern regionof the United States look similar to what we would expect for this time of year, says a CDC spokesperson.
The next hardest-hit region in the U.S. is the South, which saw a three-week positivity rate of 13.5% as of Mar. 9, according to the CDC, followed by the Western U.S.
An elementary school in Fairhope, Alabama, was closed for two days due to a suspected outbreak of norovirus that sickened an alarming number of students and staff members, NBC News affiliate NBC15 in Mobile, Alabama, reported.
"We're also seeing a big spike in California," Dr. Joanna TurnerBisgrove, a family medicine physician and assistant professor at RUSH University Medical Center, tells TODAY.com.
The infamous stomach bug is also spreading at sea. Since the start of 2024, there have been three confirmed norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships under U.S. jurisdiction, which have sickened hundreds of passengers, per the CDC.
Norovirus cases and outbreaks are most common between November and April. Norovirus is actually a seasonal virus ... and usually the peak within that window is between January and early March," Dr. Ericka Hayes, senior medical director of infection prevention at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, tells TODAY.com.
During the colder winter months, people tend to spend more time gathered indoors, which makes it easier for infectious diseases like norovirus to spread quickly between people, says Bisgrove.
The current surge in norovirus is not surprising, the experts note, but rather an expected increase that occurs every winter in the U.S. Its following pretty classic trends, says Bisgrove.
Last winter was a tough norovirus season for the U.S., as virus activity rebounded to pre-pandemic levels following the dropping of COVID-19 restrictions. Cases peaked in early March 2023, but norovirus activity still remained high well into the spring.
In 2023,norovirus outbreaks also surged on cruise ships, reaching the highest levels seen in over a decade.
Compared to the past years, we are in the same neighborhood, if not a little bit more (in terms of) the number of outbreaks in the region and nationally, but we are well within the normal range, says Hayes.
"Norovirus is an extraordinarily contagious virus. It's one of the most contagious kind of pathogens, viral or bacterial," says Hayes.
Infected people shed billions of norovirus particles in their stool and vomit, and it only takes a few virus particles to make another person sick, Hayes adds.
People typically get norovirus when these tiny particles end up in their mouths, TODAY.com previously reported. This can occur through direct person-to-person contact, consuming contaminated food or liquids, or touching contaminated surfaces then putting your unwashed fingers in your mouth.
It can spread rapidly through schools, day cares, nursing homes and other enclosed settings where people are gathered close together, says Bisgrove. Norovirus is also the leading cause of foodborne illness outbreaks in the U.S., per the CDC.
A person who has been infected can continue to shed the virus for about two weeks after their symptoms are gone and they feel better, says Bisgrove.
These are the most common symptoms of norovirus in children and adults, according to the experts:
Other possible symptoms include a headache, body aches and a low-grade fever,per the CDC.
The first signs of norovirus may include a sudden loss of appetite, stomach pain or generally feeling out of it, says Bisgrove.
These are typically followed by intense vomiting and watery diarrhea, though these may occur at the same time. "It's usually a very abrupt onset and unfortunately, there's quite a lot of it. ... Patients may have dozens of stools per day," says Hayes.
Norovirus symptoms usually last for 24 to 72 hours. "Due to all the vomiting and diarrhea you may also feel weakness, fatigue or lightheadedness," says Bisgrove.
People with norovirus may become dehydrated due to the loss of fluids through vomit and diarrhea. Symptoms of dehydration include decreased urination, dry mouth or dizziness, per the CDC. Signs in children include crying without tears, becoming fussy or suddenly lethargic and sleepy, says Hayes.
Blood in the vomit or stool is not a normal symptom of norovirus, says Bisgrove, and could be a sign of something more serious. "If you see blood, go to the emergency room," says Bisgrove.
There is no specific treatment or medicine for norovirus, and the vast majority of people will recover on their own at home, the experts note.
It's important to rest and consume plenty of fluids and electrolytes to replenish those lost through vomiting and diarrhea, says Bisgrove. These include water, sports drinks and oral rehydration fluids but avoid drinks with caffeine or alcohol until you recover.
"We also recommend bland, simple foods (rice, bananas, broths) that (the) body can handle and are more likely to stay down," says Bisgrove.
If symptoms become severe, persist for longer than a few days, or you are unable to keep fluids down or urinate, seek care, says Bisgrove. Some people may need additional support or IV fluids to prevent dehydration or its complications.
Certain groups are at a higher risk of developing complications, including children, the elderly and people with chronic illnesses or weakened immune systems, says Bisgrove.
Children under 5 years old and adults 85 and older are more likely to visit the emergency room, per the CDC.
Norovirus is an incredibly hardy virus. "It's hard to disinfect, and it's resistant to a lot of standard cleaners," says Narula.
Alcohol-based hand sanitizers do not work well against norovirus, the experts note, so good hand-washing is key this means washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, per the CDC. Wash your hands after using the bathroom, after changing diapers and before eating.
If you are sick with norovirus, the experts recommend taking the following steps to prevent spreading the virus to others:
Caroline Kee is a health reporter at TODAY based in New York City.
The avian influenza outbreak killed millions of birds across 5 of the 7 continents in 2022. In the first 6 months of that year, more than 69 million farmed birds were culled and 34,000 wild birds died from the virus, though this is likely to be underestimated.
The scientists found that the 2020 outbreak of the H5N8 genotype instead of the G0 genotype produced reassortment opportunities and led to the emergence of a new H5N1 virus with G1s HA and MP genes, causing a significant outbreak in Europe and North America. And through the wild bird migration flyways investigation, the Chinese researchers found that the temporal-spatial coincidence between the H5N8 G1 virus and the bird autumn migration may have expanded the H5 viral spread, which may be one of the main drivers of the emergence of the 2020-22 H5 panzootic.
In the paper Spatiotemporal genotype replacement of H5N8 avian influenza viruses contributed to H5N1 emergence in 2021/2022 panzootic, published in the journal Journal of Virology, the authors say that since 2020, highly pathogenic avian influenza H5 subtype variants of clade 2.3.4.4b have spread across continents, but until now the factors promoting the genesis and spread of the H5 HPAI viruses have been unclear.
But in this research, the scientists found that the spatiotemporal genotype replacement of H5N8 HPAI viruses contributed to the emergence of the H5N1 variant that caused the 2021/23 panzootic. They found that the viral evolution in poultry of Egypt and surrounding area and autumn bird migration from the Russia-Kazakhstan region to Europe are important drivers. These findings, they say, provide important targets for early warning and could help control the current and future HPAI epidemics.
The publication Nature Asia reported that a team of international researchers revealed that the virus mutated to spread 3 times faster among wild birds than it did in farmed poultry in 2020 and has caused a significant rise in incidental infections in wild carnivores, mink and marine animals.
Rabeh Al-Shishini, virologist at Egypts National Research Centre, said Egypt began vaccinating poultry with vaccines around 2005/6 against an avian influenza subvariant, but it became endemic in Egypt until 2017, when poultry and wild birds were infected with another bird flu subvariant (H5N8) that caused global spikes in 2020/1.
The 2016 and 2017 outbreak in Egypt is attributable to multiple reasons, including the absence of effective vaccines against the prevailing bird flu variants, said the virologist. The newest H5N1 strains has evolved from, and almost entirely replaced, the H5N8 strain that emerged in Egypt in 2016.
By Caitlin Tilley, Health Reporter For Dailymail.Com 21:31 21 Mar 2024, updated 21:36 21 Mar 2024
A goat in Minnesota has tested positive for bird flu, in the first case of bird flu in domestic livestock in US history.
The baby goat, who tested positive forhighly pathogenic avian influenzastrain H5N1, the strain of bird flu that has been spreading since 2022, was from a farm in Stevens County in the west of the state.
Officials suspect the goat caught the flu from the infected bird because the animals shared the same space and had access to a shared water source.
Dr Thomas Moore, an infectious diseases doctor at the University of Kansas, say it marks a 'worrisome development' because it shows the virus is edging closer to infecting other mammals and even humans.
It is rare for mammals to get bird flu because they have fewer of the receptors in their upper airways which the virus binds to.
All animals have been quarantined and there is an 'extremely low' risk to the public, with only those who have been in direct contact to the animals at risk, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health.
While there doesn't appear to be any mutation this time, experts told DailyMail.com the longer the virus is around in mammals undetected, the more chance it has to mutate.
The farm already had a an outbreak of H5N1 in poultry in February, and the birds had been quarantined in an attempt to stop the spread.
Health officials are still investigating how the virus was transmitted, and the board said it has quarantined all other species on the farm.
'Thankfully, research to-date has shown mammals appear to be dead-end hosts, which means theyre unlikely to spread HPAI further.'
Animals with weakened immune systems, such as baby goats in this case, are at higher risk of contracting disease in general.
But Dr Moore told DailyMail.com that it was reminder that at any point, bird flu could acquire a mutation that makes it transmissible to humans.
He said: 'It's obviously a worrisome development. Because you don't know, where it ends? ...The virus is constantly replicating and we don't really know where it's going to end.
'I think it's reasonable to assume this is the only goat that's infected. Particularly if you have documented infection and poultry nearby.'
He added: 'The thing is that make it makes you worry a little bit is whether it's transmissible to wild birds in the area who can then transport it. You can do all the quarantine you want to goats and domestic poultry but if you think you have wild birds acting as a vector, then it can spread widely.'
Dr Brian Hoefs, the state veterinarian, said: 'This finding is significant because, while the spring migration is definitely a higher risk transmission period for poultry, it highlights the possibility of the virus infecting other animals on farms with multiple species.'
No one has become ill after being in contact with mammals infected with bird flu.
In August 2023, two people in Michiganwere diagnosed with swine flu after being exposed to infected pigs at county fairs.
The current bird flu outbreak has been raging for almost two years, touching every corner of the world including Antarctica for the first time.
Experts have warned that increasing cases in mammals could lead to a recombination event when two viruses, such as avian flu and seasonal flu, switch genetic material to make a new hybrid.
A similar process is thought to have caused the global 2009 swine flu crisis that infected millions across the planet.
For decades, scientists have warned that bird flu is the most likely contender for triggering the next pandemic.
This could see a deadly strain of bird flu merge with a transmissible seasonal flu.
Bean Narong, 11, died after catching Type A HN5 in her Cambodia village in February 2023.
In the UK, a December report showed four samples from the infected otters and foxes 'show the presence of a mutation which is associated with potential advantages for mammalian infection'.
The UKHSA warned that the 'rapid and consistent acquisition of the mutation in mammals may imply this virus has a propensity to cause zoonotic infections' meaning it could potentially spread to humans.
Yuko Sato, a poultry extension veterinarian and diagnostician from Iowa State University, told DailyMail.com that there appears to be no mutation between the virus received from the goat and the virus received from the chicken.
'Thankfully, it seems like there's it's just a horizontal spread,' she said.
But she added: 'The biggest risk is probably just having the virus just being around in different groups of animals undetected.
'The longer the virus is around it, the more ability it has to mutate. As soon as there's something wrong, I think it was great that [the farmers in Minnesota] had it diagnosed really quickly and investigated, because the longer it festers, the more problems there's going to be.'
On whether it raises the risk of human spillover, she said: 'I don't know yet.But this virus seems to be more likely to have that potential compared to the past virus in 2015.'
The last case of bird flu in a commercial flock of birds in America was in June 2015.
An outbreak of bird flu occurred between December 2014 and June 2015, with more than 200 cases of bird flu in both backyard poultry and wild birds.
Bird flu led to the slaughter of five million birds in the US in 2023 in an attempt to prevent an outbreak.
Last year,Dr Sylvie Briand, the WHO's director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention,said: 'The global H5N1 situation is worrying given the wide spread of the virus in birds around the world and the increasing reports of cases in mammals including humans.'
H5N1 was first detected in chickens in Scotland in 1959, and again in China and Hong Kong in 1996. It first was detected in humans in 1997.
Human-to-human transmission of H5N1 is incredibly rare, but not impossible. In 1997, officials confirmed 18 H5N1 cases in Hong Kong, some of which were acquired through human-to-human transmission. The outbreak stayed relatively small, though. And did not spiral into a massive issue at either the local or global level.
This recent outbreak has caused particular concern. More than 15million domesticated birds, and countless wild animals, have been struck down by the virus.
There is nothing to be done that can prevent the spread among wild birds, but officials are working to keep domesticated populations away from them. In the UK, all farmed chickens are now required to stay indoors.
(Stevens County, MN)-- Officials say a goat in western Minnesota has tested positive for avian flu. The Minnesota Board of Animal Health confirmed the case on Wednesday, saying the young goat was on a farm in Stevens County with a poultry flock that had the same virus. The case was discovered after the owner of the farm told state officials about the deaths of some baby goats and a carcass was taken to the University of Minnesota, where it tested positive for avian flu.
Health officials say this is the first domestic ruminant in the U.S. to test positive for avian flu.
A lab in West Virginia University Hospitals Health Sciences Building has temporarily closed following the discovery of asbestos in dust.
WVU Hospitals risk management and safety director Roger Osbourn tells The Dominion Postthat the asbestos is an isolated incident. He says it most likely resulted when a pipe was bumped during renovations on the floor above the lab.
University environmental health and safety director John Principe says tests showed trace amounts of asbestos fibers. Air sample tests were negative.
There has been much research released over the past few years on the COVID-19 pandemic and investigators have assessed the public health crisis impact on the population in several different areas of health care.
In 4 posters presented at the 2024 American Pharmacists Association Annual Meeting and Exposition, researchers examined fraudulent FDA-issued warning letters for COVID-19, vaccine hesitancy in college-aged adults, patient-health care provider communication regarding COVID-19, and comparisons of COVID-19 with peak influenza seasons.
Read more of our coverage from the 2024 APhA Annual Meeting & Exposition here.
PeopleImages / iStock
In Florida in 2022, concurrent outbreaks of mpox, hepatitis A, and invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) were noted among men who have sex with men (MSM). A report on the outbreaks, published yesterday in Emerging Infectious Diseases, emphasizes the need to offer vaccination against these diseases among at-risk groups.
The authors explain that the global mpox outbreak arrived in Florida in the summer of 2022, amid ongoing outbreaks of IMD and hepatitis A, which began the previous year. Florida had the fourth-highest rates of mpox in the United States.
From November 1, 2021, to November 30, 2022, Florida health officials recorded 322 hepatitis A cases, of which 153 (48%) met the genotype outbreak case definition. Among the outbreak patients, 95% were male, 5% female, 74% MSM, and 21% had HIV. One death was noted.
The Florida Department of Health tracked 71 IMD cases during the period, of those, 44 (62%) were classified as outbreak-associated. Among the outbreak patients, 72% were MSM, 34% had HIV, and 20% died.
By the end of November 2022, Florida had recorded 2,845 confirmed or probable mpox cases. Eighty-eight percent were among MSM, and all but 14% were acquired locally. Fifty-two percent of patients were HIV-positive.
The three outbreaks overlapped substantially: Hepatitis A peaked in late March of 2022, IMD in May and June, and mpox in August.
Vaccination against hepatitis A, meningococcal disease, and mpox should be encouraged among MSM.
"We did not identify any instances of the same person being part of both the hepatitis A and IMD outbreaks. However, among mpox cases, 4 patients were also part of the hepatitis A outbreak, and 3 others were part of the IMD outbreak," the authors conclude. "Vaccination against hepatitis A, meningococcal disease, and mpox should be encouraged among MSM, consistent with national guidelines and, where feasible, offered with other program services to the same at-risk population."
