The global spread of H5N1 influenza in birds is considered a significant pandemic threat While other H5N1 influenza strains are known, they are significantly different on a genetic level from a recent, highly pathogenic, emergent strain of H5N1, which was able to achieve hitherto unprecedented global spread in 2008.
Could
avian flu
become a pandemic?
There is concern that this strain of “bird” flu could cause a pandemic – a very dangerous, worldwide outbreak of illness. That will only happens if the
flu virus
changes, so people can get it easily from each other – not just from birds. That hasn’t happened yet – and it may never happen.
What does H5N1 do to humans?
Illnesses in people from bird flu virus infections have ranged from mild (e.g.,
eye infection
, upper respiratory symptoms) to severe illness (e.g., pneumonia) that can result in death The only previous human case associated with this group of
h5n1 viruses
produced in no symptoms.
Is H5N1 fatal to humans?
An especially notorious strain is the
hpai influenza virus h5n1
, which has a mortality rate of approximately 60% and which has resulted in numerous hospitalizations, deaths, and significant economic loss.
When was H5N1 declared a pandemic?
Since late April 2009 , the world’s attention has been focused on the H1N1 pandemic, which, fortunately, has been less severe than feared. The 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic has also been much less severe than the H5N1 pandemic scenario that drove pandemic planning for the past 5 years.
Is there a vaccine for H5N1?
Influenza A (H5N1) vaccine is used for active immunization to prevent disease caused by the influenza A virus H5N1 subtype in patients over 6 months of age at increased risk of exposure. Influenza A (H5N1) vaccine is available under the following different brand names: Audenz.
Is bird flu still around 2022?
Learn about 2022 detections of HPAI in Commercial and Backyard Flocks. Wild birds can be infected with HPAI and show no signs of illness They can carry the disease to new areas when migrating, potentially exposing domestic poultry to the virus.
Why is H5N1 so concerning?
H5N1 infection in humans can cause severe disease and has a high mortality rate If the H5N1 virus were to change and become easily transmissible from person to person while retaining its capacity to cause severe disease, the consequences for public health could be very serious.
What kills avian flu virus?
The proper handling and cooking of poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165˚F kills bacteria and viruses, including H5N1 bird flu viruses.
Can bird flu be cured?
You can treat symptoms of bird flu the same way you would treat seasonal flu symptoms This includes: Taking any antiviral medication as prescribed.
Can you get bird flu from eating chicken?
You cannot get bird flu from eating fully cooked chicken , turkey, or duck, because heat kills the virus. In a few cases, bird flu was passed from one person to another person, not from a bird to a person. But this was very rare.
How did bird flu end?
nothing happened The virus continued to kill chickens and to occasionally infect and sometimes kill people. But as the years passed, the number of human H5N1 cases subsided. There has not been a single H5N1 human infection detected since February 2017.
How does H5N1 spread?
Bird flu is spread by close contact with an infected bird (dead or alive) This includes: touching infected birds. touching droppings or bedding.
What’s the Ebola death rate?
The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission. The average EVD case fatality rate is around 50% Case fatality rates have varied from 25% to 90% in past outbreaks. Community engagement is key to successfully controlling outbreaks.
What is the difference between H1N1 and H5N1?
Similarly, an “A(H5N1)” virus has an HA 5 protein and an NA 1 protein All known subtypes of influenza A viruses can infect birds, except subtypes A(H17N10) and A(H18N11), which have only been found in bats. Only two influenza A virus subtypes A(H1N1)pdm09, and A(H3N2), are currently circulating among people.
Should I worry about H5N1?
The bird flu outbreak affecting poultry farms across the U.S. isn’t a cause for concern just yet , but disease surveillance specialists are doing their best to stop the spread and prevent any human cases, experts said.
Is H5N1 serious?
Asian lineage H7N9 and highly pathogenic avian influenza Asian lineage H5N1 viruses have been responsible for most human illness from bird flu viruses worldwide to date, including the most serious illnesses and illness with the highest mortality.
Where did H5N1 come from?
The avian influenza virus A(H5N1) emerged in 1996. It was first identified in Southern China and Hong Kong The A(H5N1) virus kills a high proportion of the poultry that it infects and is therefore known as a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus.
Does H5N1 mutate?
“Bird flu ‘could mutate to cause deadly human pandemic’,” BBC News has reported. The BBC says that Dutch researchers have identified mutations that could allow the H5N1 virus to spread rapidly in humans.
Is H1N1 a bird flu?
A: In the last decade we’ve really had two major circulating forms of virus that we’re particularly concerned about — that is the avian flu, or bird flu, and the swine H1N1 virus. They are both influenza A viruses, but in terms of their genetic makeup and how they behave they are very, very different infections.
Was there a pandemic in 2005?
The global spread of (highly pathogenic) H5N1 in birds is considered a significant pandemic threat While prior H5N1 strains have been known, they were significantly different from the current H5N1 strain on a genetic level, making the global spread of this new strain unprecedented.
Can you eat eggs from chickens with avian flu?
All poultry products for public consumption are inspected for signs of disease both before and after slaughter. The “inspected for wholesomeness by the U.S. Department of Agriculture” seal ensures the poultry is free from visible signs of disease. prepared and cooked poultry and eggs are safe to eat.
What type of virus is H5N1?
H5N1 is a highly pathogenic avian (bird) flu virus that has caused serious outbreaks in domestic poultry in parts of Asia and the Middle East. Since its widespread re-emergence in 2003, rare, sporadic human infections with this virus have been reported in Asia, and later in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.
How many human cases of bird flu were there in the year 2013?
As of June 2013, 630 cases of avian influenza had been reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) worldwide, with 375 deaths. Currently, reporting from areas with poor access to health care may be limited to clinically severe cases; illness that does not fulfill WHO diagnostic criteria is not reported.
How many cases of H5N1 are there?
Since 2003 to 31 March 2022, a total of 864 cases and 456 deaths of influenza A(H5N1) human infection have been reported worldwide from 18 countries, however, this is the first reported case in the United States of America.
Where is H5N1 found?
Highly pathogenic* avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1) virus occurs mainly in birds, is highly contagious among birds, and can be deadly, especially in domestic poultry. Since December 2003, an Asian HPAI H5N1 virus has resulted in high mortality in poultry and wild birds in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa.
Was there a bird flu in 2010?
On December 7, 2010, an HPAI (H5N1) virus was isolated from a healthy mallard in South Korea (7). After that, subtype H5N1 viruses were frequently detected in wild birds and poultry until May 2011.
What is H5N1 stand for?
Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus A(H5N1) HPAIV A(H5N1) is highly infectious for a number of bird species, including most species of domestic poultry [1].
Who makes H5N1 vaccine?
This vaccine is derived from the A/Vietnam/1203/2004 influenza virus. The vaccine is manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur Inc. of Swiftwater, PA and has been purchased by the federal government for inclusion within the Nation’s National Stockpile.
What happened to the bird flu vaccine?
While avian flu vaccines are currently available , they are not being used on a large scale on poultry farms because this hinders the ability to conduct surveillance testing, which helps detect the virus in unvaccinated flocks and limit the spread of the disease.
Can humans spread bird flu?
It’s mostly a threat to birds and doesn’t spread easily among people , but there was a major outbreak of bird flu in people in 2014. The very few cases of human-to-human transmission were among people with exceptionally close contact, such as a mother who caught the virus while caring for their sick infant.
What states have bird flu now?
Officials also confirmed new poultry outbreaks in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, and Montana , as well as more positive tests in wild birds. And the World Health Organization (WHO) provided updates on human avian flu cases in Colorado and China.
Where has avian flu been found 2022?
The first 2021/2022 detection of Eurasian strain (EA) highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 in North America occurred in December 2021 in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
Why is bird flu increasing?
Some experts say the intensification of animal farming , raising more animals closer together, could also be increasing the virulence and transmission rate of bird flu strains.
What is the H virus?
The influenza type A virus, known as H1N1 is a respiratory infection that was popularly named “swine flu.” The virus was first recognized in April 2009 and spread quickly to 74 countries worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the virus a global pandemic.
Sources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4001451/
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abo1232
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/s0428-avian-flu.html