They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. A certain viral variant that arose in 2020, called H5N1 2.3.4.4b, is driving this outbreak. Avian influenza - Wikipedia Government officials are studying infections atturkey farms, in particular, in hopes of developing new recommendations for preventing infections. Most reported bird flu infections in people have happened after unprotected contact with infected birds or contaminated surfaces. During past H5N1 bird flu virus outbreaks that have occurred in poultry globally, human infections were rare. And while the risk of the virus spilling over into humans remains low, scientists say communities will feel the consequences of such a serious and lengthy outbreak for months to come. Avian bird flu outbreak: What to know about H5N1 symptoms and vaccines CDC is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on other federal or private website. 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The spread of bird flu viruses from one infected person to a close contact has occurred rarely in other countries in the past, and when it has happened, it has been limited and not sustained,and didnotspread beyond close contacts. It has ravaged farm flocks and chicken yards in 46 states since February, when the first cases were reported in commercial flocks. There are two groups of AI viruses that cause disease in chickens: highly pathogenic AI and low pathogenic AI. The virus that worries them is H5N1, a form of avian influenza, or bird flu. 'Incredibly concerning': Bird flu outbreak at Spanish mink farm Avian Flu Spread in the U.S. Worries Poultry Industry - New York Times Bird flu infections in people are rare, but possible. Many migratory bird species travel thousands of miles between continents, posing a continuing risk of AI virus transmission. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to search. Birds experience influenza as a gastrointestinal infection and spread flu predominantly through defecating in water. However, vaccines could be used to help control an outbreak, and this is an option that the agency is investigating now. Better known as the bird flu, avian influenza is a group of flu viruses that is well adapted to birds. The deaths of chickens, turkeys and other birds represent the worst U.S. animal-health disaster to date, topping the previous record of 50.5 million birds that died in an avian-flu outbreak in 2015. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/what-consumers-need-to-know-about-the-avian-flu-outbreak, As avian flu spreads, North American zoos take precautions to protect birds, Americans may soon pay more for milk, cheese as rising heat stresses livestock, For Midwest farmers, floodwaters threaten millions in crop and livestock losses, outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, depression, coughing and sneezing and sudden death, the risk to public health from this outbreak is low, last H5N1 outbreak in the U.S. in 2014 and 2015, travel thousands of miles between continents, eradicate HPAI quickly after it is detected. Keep up with the latest scitech news via email or social media. Create a free account and access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses. Avoid direct contact with wild birds and observe them only from a distance, if possible. Avian influenza Type A viruses (bird flu viruses) do not normally infect people, but rare cases of human infection have occurred with some bird flu viruses. Hagerman warns that in a time of inflationary pressure and supply-chain snags, it can be hard to directly link a price hike to the virus. In late 2022, mammal-to-mammal spread occurred in Spain in farmed minks. Previous outbreaks of avian influenza -- whether low pathogenic virus that is endemic in the U.S. or highly pathogenic H5N8 in 2015 -- typically occurred in the fall, which meant farmers could . ", Liu Guanguan/China News Service via Getty Images, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Zoos across North America are moving birds indoors to protect them from avian flu, Bird flu outbreak drives Nebraska to cull 1.8 million more chickens, Bald eagles around the U.S. are contracting the bird flu. Right now, the H5N1 bird flu situation remains primarily an animal health issue. Seasonal flu vaccination will not prevent infection with bird flu viruses, but can reduce the risk of getting sick with human and bird flu viruses at the same time. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website. Saving Lives, Protecting People, Current U.S. Bird Flu Situation in Humans. Caused by the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu, conservationists working in the area are now . "We don't know exactly what it is about it, but it does seem just to be able to grow and transmit better in wild birds," Webby, who is also a member of the infectious diseases department at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, tells NPR. The deaths of chickens, turkeys and other birds represent the worst U.S. animal-healthdisasterto date, topping the previous record of 50.5 million birds that died in an avian-flu outbreak in 2015. Monitoring and prevention of avian influenza has improved since the last major outbreak in 2015, Lorenzoni said, when roughly 50 million birds were killed over six months. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website. And if infections go unnoticed, they could spread to other farms before farmers can put control measures in place. And we now have the highest amount of poultry loss to avian influenza, so this is a worst-case scenario," she added. A truck drives out the entrance of the Cold Springs Eggs Farm where the presence of avian influenza was reported to be discovered, forcing the commercial egg producer to destroy nearly 3 million chickens on March 24, 2022 near Palmyra, Wisconsin. Learn more about the latest avian influenza situation in the United States and globally. Between December 2022 and February 2023, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been detected in wild aquatic birds (pelicans and penguins) and sea mammals (sea lions) in the Antofagasta Region where the case resides. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); SciTechDaily: Home of the best science and technology news since 1998. Do we test the water or the soil? Comparing information about these newer viruses to previously circulating H5N1 bird flu viruses helps inform the human health risk assessment. "So, yes, we certainly saw an increase in turkey prices in this holiday season," Hagerman says, "but not as much as we might have anticipated given the extent of this outbreak.". This is because bird influenza viruses must mutate in several ways to infect mammals efficiently. Wild birds like ducks transmit the virus, known as highly pathogenic avian influenza, through their feces, feathers or direct contact with poultry. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. This version of the influenza virus doesn't affect "broilers" chickens raised for meat as badly it does "layers" table-egg laying hens and turkeys. Losses of poultry flocks sent prices foreggsand turkey meat to record highs, worsening economic pain for consumers facing red-hot inflation and making Thursdays Thanksgiving celebrations more expensive in the United States. "You can think of that like an omicron variant" because of its wide prevalence, Webby says. Once that happens, entire flocks typically need to be culled. hide caption. At least 50.54 million birds have died this year from the Avian flu, according to new data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.. Why it matters: This represents the highest amount of deaths of chickens, turkeys and other birds since 50.5 million died from an outbreak in 2015, according to Reuters. 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". Avian Influenza Outbreak 2022-2023: Should You Take Down Your Bird The second reason for increased attention is that H5N1 is now infecting more bird and mammalian species than ever before. The bird flu surge has also . An outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza that started in 2021 has become the largest bird flu outbreak in history, both in the U.S. and worldwide. That was also true of the last H5N1 outbreak in the U.S. in 2014 and 2015. More information about bird flu in humans is available at Bird Flu Virus Infections in Humans. One fear, says Thijs Kuiken, an avian influenza expert at Erasmus University Rotterdam, is that H5N1 will spread south of the U.S. border. Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images. So far, current H5N1 bird flu viruses lack changes seen in the past that have been associated with viruses spreading easily among poultry, infecting people more easily, and causing severe illness in people. "Why this bird flu is different: Scientists say new avian influenza requires urgent coordinated response." But the calculations might change if the virus is determined to be endemic in wild birds or in a geographic area. (2023, April 19). The more than 50,000 mink at the facility were killed and their carcasses destroyed. hide caption. With the recent detections of the Eurasian H5 strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in wild birds and domestic poultry in the United States, bird owners should review their biosecurity practices and stay vigilant to protect poultry and pet birds from this disease. We call this process the four Ds of outbreak control: diagnosis, depopulation, disposal and decontamination. **Clades are described in the Classification of bird flu viruses section. These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. That earlier outbreak also started in the winter but while that ordeal was over by the following June, the current outbreak lasted through the summer and has surged anew. Authorities immediately placed workers on the farm under quarantine restrictions. Avian influenza, also known as avian flu, is a bird flu caused by the influenza A virus, which can infect people. The new H5N1 strain has already killed over 58 million chickens, turkeys, and other birds, Reuters reported. Europe and Britain are also suffering their worst avian-flu crises, and some British supermarketsrationed customers eggpurchases after the outbreak disrupted supplies. ScienceDaily. But she notes that U.S. egg prices can be affected if just a few farms have to dispose of their flocks. Recently it has begun infecting an exploding diversity of bird and mammalian species around the globe. That doesnt seem like much of a genetic obstacle. Comparing the current U.S. virus to the one in Europe, Webby says, "From the outside looking in, they look very similar. Rescued chickens gather last year in an aviary at Farm Sanctuarys Southern California Sanctuary in Acton, Calif. Avian influenza A (H7N9) virus outbreak - WHO You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link. The third and most worrisome reason that this virus is getting so much press is that H5N1 now seems to be transmitting well between individuals of at least one mammalian species. Over the centuries, some of these avian influenza viruses have been passed from birds to humans and other mammalian species, although this is a relatively rare event. "Generally speaking, these complexes are over a million birds, easily," Hagerman says. Previous outbreaks of avian influenza -- whether low pathogenic virus that is endemic in the U.S. or highly pathogenic H5N8 in 2015 -- typically occurred in the fall, which meant farmers could prepare for seasonal outbreaks, cull flocks to halt the spread of disease, and have nearly a full year to recover losses. H5N1 spread very efficiently between the minks and caused clinical signs of illness and death in the mink populations where it was detected.