California declares public health emergency as bird flu spreads in cows
By India Edwards, HealthDay News
Dec. 19, 2024
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a public health emergency on Wednesday as bird flu continues to spread among the state's dairy cattle.
By India Edwards, HealthDay News
Dec. 19, 2024
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a public health emergency on Wednesday as bird flu continues to spread among the state's dairy cattle.
Photo by Adobe Stock/HealthDay News
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a public health emergency on Wednesday as bird flu continues to spread among the state's dairy cattle.
"This proclamation is a targeted action to ensure government agencies have the resources and flexibility they need to respond quickly to this outbreak," Newsom explained in a news release announcing the move. "While the risk to the public remains low, we will continue to take all necessary steps to prevent the spread of this virus."
The move comes on the heels of a Louisiana resident being hospitalized with bird flu (H5N1), the first severe case confirmed in the United States.
The country's bird flu outbreak, which began in Texas earlier this year, has now spread to 16 states, with 865 infected herds identified as of Wednesday.
Related
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a public health emergency on Wednesday as bird flu continues to spread among the state's dairy cattle.
"This proclamation is a targeted action to ensure government agencies have the resources and flexibility they need to respond quickly to this outbreak," Newsom explained in a news release announcing the move. "While the risk to the public remains low, we will continue to take all necessary steps to prevent the spread of this virus."
The move comes on the heels of a Louisiana resident being hospitalized with bird flu (H5N1), the first severe case confirmed in the United States.
The country's bird flu outbreak, which began in Texas earlier this year, has now spread to 16 states, with 865 infected herds identified as of Wednesday.
Related
CDC says first severe case of bird flu confirmed in Louisiana
USDA announces new milk testing order for H5N1 bird flu
Bird flu contamination prompts recall of California raw milk
California has been hit particularly hard, with 645 affected dairies, about half of which were reported in just the past 30 days.
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While experts maintain that the virus cannot yet spread easily among people, each infection in animals increases the risk of the virus mutating into a form more transmissible between humans.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 61 human cases of H5N1 infection nationwide, with another seven cases deemed "probable."
Over half of the confirmed cases -- 32 -- are in California. While 37 of these infections have been traced to interactions with infected cattle, others are linked to diseased birds or other animals and several cases remain of unknown origin.
"All these infections in so many species around us is paving a bigger and bigger runway for the virus to potentially evolve to infect humans better and transmit between humans," Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, director of the Boston University Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases, told the New York Times.
Bird flu has been spreading in poultry since 2022, and cases in dairy cows began to crop up last March. The virus was discovered in a pig for the first time recently.
Earlier this month, Canadian officials announced that a teen in British Columbia had been hospitalized in critical condition with what is believed to be bird flu.
It's not clear how the teenager picked up the H5N1 virus because the patient is not known to have any contact with infected animals, officials noted. They added that this is the first human case of the virus reported in both the province and Canada.
"The positive test for H5 was performed at the BC Centre for Disease Control's Public-Health Laboratory," Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer of British Columbia, said in a statement.
Testing has been performed on about three dozen people who were in contact with the teen, but none show evidence of infection, Henry added.
"We should be very concerned at this point," Dr. James Lawler, co-director of the University of Nebraska's Global Center for Health Security, told the Times. "Nobody should be hitting the panic button yet, but we should really be devoting a lot of resources into figuring out what's going on."
More information
The CDC has more on bird flu.
Copyright © 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
USDA announces new milk testing order for H5N1 bird flu
Bird flu contamination prompts recall of California raw milk
California has been hit particularly hard, with 645 affected dairies, about half of which were reported in just the past 30 days.
Advertisement
While experts maintain that the virus cannot yet spread easily among people, each infection in animals increases the risk of the virus mutating into a form more transmissible between humans.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 61 human cases of H5N1 infection nationwide, with another seven cases deemed "probable."
Over half of the confirmed cases -- 32 -- are in California. While 37 of these infections have been traced to interactions with infected cattle, others are linked to diseased birds or other animals and several cases remain of unknown origin.
"All these infections in so many species around us is paving a bigger and bigger runway for the virus to potentially evolve to infect humans better and transmit between humans," Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, director of the Boston University Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases, told the New York Times.
Bird flu has been spreading in poultry since 2022, and cases in dairy cows began to crop up last March. The virus was discovered in a pig for the first time recently.
Earlier this month, Canadian officials announced that a teen in British Columbia had been hospitalized in critical condition with what is believed to be bird flu.
It's not clear how the teenager picked up the H5N1 virus because the patient is not known to have any contact with infected animals, officials noted. They added that this is the first human case of the virus reported in both the province and Canada.
"The positive test for H5 was performed at the BC Centre for Disease Control's Public-Health Laboratory," Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer of British Columbia, said in a statement.
Testing has been performed on about three dozen people who were in contact with the teen, but none show evidence of infection, Henry added.
"We should be very concerned at this point," Dr. James Lawler, co-director of the University of Nebraska's Global Center for Health Security, told the Times. "Nobody should be hitting the panic button yet, but we should really be devoting a lot of resources into figuring out what's going on."
More information
The CDC has more on bird flu.
Copyright © 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Wisconsin’s first human avian flu infection reported along with second poultry flock case
Photo by Haley Hamilton on Unsplash
seven chicken eggs
“She had relatively mild symptoms but symptoms that would be consistent with influenza, including sore throat, slight fever, some fatigue, some eye discharge,” said Haupt. He said she was improving after being treated with an antiviral medication and was expected to make a full recovery.
Public health officials are monitoring another 19 people who were exposed, Haupt said.
State public health veterinarian Dr. Angie Maxted said when people are infected with a communicable disease, public health agencies contact family and other household members to test them for the illness and inform them about preventive measures.
The Kenosha flock where an H5N1 infection was reported Wednesday is a “backyard flock” — one that is raised for a family’s own use, with limited, local sales of eggs or other products, said Dr. Darlene Konkle, DATCP state veterinarian. The flock consisted of 88 chickens and five ducks.
Haupt said the Kenosha County residents who might have been exposed are being tested for the virus. There are no concerns that members of the general public were at risk, however. Maxted said that it appears only the flock’s owners were exposed to the birds.
According to DATCP, the birds from the flock where the infection was reported will not enter the food supply.
In addition, poultry within a 10 kilometer (6.2 mile) area of the Kenosha flock will be restricted from being moved on or off any premises, said DATCP, which establishes a control area around any premises where an infection is found.
DATCP has a mapping tool that poultry producers and owners can consult to learn whether their poultry are in an active control area or surveillance zone.
Concern about the virus has been heightened for the last three years, with reports of infections in both wild and domestic birds in North America since December 2021.
Konkle said DATCP has been sending information to dairy, poultry and other livestock producers all year, encouraging them to improve biosecurity measures to prevent the spread of disease and protect their birds and animals.
The H5N1 HPAI virus is highly contagious and can be fatal to domestic poultry. The severity of the illness varies depending on its strain and on which species of animal it affects, according to DATCP.
The virus spreads by contact with infected birds, commingling with wild birds or their droppings, and through clothing or equipment used by people working with infected birds or animals.
DHS has a web page with guidance for Protective Actions for People. The department can provide a limited amount of surplus personal protective equipment for farm workers, businesses and processors from the department’s medical stockpile through its Office of Preparedness and Emergency Health Care.
State law requires all Wisconsin livestock owners to register where their animals are kept, which helps health officials alert flock and herd owners.
Avian flu in domestic birds tends to increase late in the year, likely due to weather conditions and the flow of migrating birds through Wisconsin. “There’s more opportunity, when it’s circulating in these wild birds” for the virus to spread, Konkle said.
People who have contact with livestock and animals are at higher risk for exposure to the H5N1 avian flu virus and should avoid contact with sick or ill animals, said Maxted.
When they must be in contact, people should follow “common sense” precautions, washing their hands frequently and wearing protective clothing including gloves, respiratory protection and eye protection, she said, and clothing exposed to animals should be cleaned and disinfected.
Haupt said the DHS bureau of environmental and occupational health has been working with farmers and farm workers to inform them about the risks of avian influenza and precautions to protect themselves from the virus. The agency urges people who do get sick to take time off.
“If someone is sick, if you don’t have to work — don’t work,” Haupt said. “Stay home, give yourself time to heal.”
Wisconsin Examiner is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Wisconsin Examiner maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Ruth Conniff for questions: info@wisconsinexaminer.com.
Photo by Haley Hamilton on Unsplash
seven chicken eggs
December 19, 2024
A farm worker in Barron County has tested positive for avian influenza after being exposed to a poultry flock infected with the virus, Wisconsin health officials said Wednesday. The woman is the first person identified with the infection in Wisconsin.
At the other end of the state, a case of the highly contagious disease has turned up in a Kenosha County poultry flock, according to the state agriculture department. The flock has been isolated and will be destroyed.
The risk of illness for the general public remains low, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), while people working with infected animals or who might be otherwise exposed to them are at higher risk.
Also Wednesday, the federal government reported the first severe case of bird flu in a patient in Louisiana. That was believed to be associated with wild birds, not domestic poultry.
The infected woman in Barron County was identified through a test at the Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene. The diagnosis is pending confirmation at federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
She was exposed to the Barron County poultry flock where the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) identified an infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI H5N1) last week. The flock was destroyed.
After the infected flock was identified, DHS and Barron County Health and Human Services began monitoring farm workers who may have been exposed to the birds, said Thomas Haupt, a DHS research scientist and epidemiologist, in an online news conference Wednesday.
The woman who tested positive was one of two people tested.
A farm worker in Barron County has tested positive for avian influenza after being exposed to a poultry flock infected with the virus, Wisconsin health officials said Wednesday. The woman is the first person identified with the infection in Wisconsin.
At the other end of the state, a case of the highly contagious disease has turned up in a Kenosha County poultry flock, according to the state agriculture department. The flock has been isolated and will be destroyed.
The risk of illness for the general public remains low, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), while people working with infected animals or who might be otherwise exposed to them are at higher risk.
Also Wednesday, the federal government reported the first severe case of bird flu in a patient in Louisiana. That was believed to be associated with wild birds, not domestic poultry.
The infected woman in Barron County was identified through a test at the Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene. The diagnosis is pending confirmation at federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
She was exposed to the Barron County poultry flock where the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) identified an infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI H5N1) last week. The flock was destroyed.
After the infected flock was identified, DHS and Barron County Health and Human Services began monitoring farm workers who may have been exposed to the birds, said Thomas Haupt, a DHS research scientist and epidemiologist, in an online news conference Wednesday.
The woman who tested positive was one of two people tested.
“She had relatively mild symptoms but symptoms that would be consistent with influenza, including sore throat, slight fever, some fatigue, some eye discharge,” said Haupt. He said she was improving after being treated with an antiviral medication and was expected to make a full recovery.
Public health officials are monitoring another 19 people who were exposed, Haupt said.
State public health veterinarian Dr. Angie Maxted said when people are infected with a communicable disease, public health agencies contact family and other household members to test them for the illness and inform them about preventive measures.
The Kenosha flock where an H5N1 infection was reported Wednesday is a “backyard flock” — one that is raised for a family’s own use, with limited, local sales of eggs or other products, said Dr. Darlene Konkle, DATCP state veterinarian. The flock consisted of 88 chickens and five ducks.
Haupt said the Kenosha County residents who might have been exposed are being tested for the virus. There are no concerns that members of the general public were at risk, however. Maxted said that it appears only the flock’s owners were exposed to the birds.
According to DATCP, the birds from the flock where the infection was reported will not enter the food supply.
In addition, poultry within a 10 kilometer (6.2 mile) area of the Kenosha flock will be restricted from being moved on or off any premises, said DATCP, which establishes a control area around any premises where an infection is found.
DATCP has a mapping tool that poultry producers and owners can consult to learn whether their poultry are in an active control area or surveillance zone.
Concern about the virus has been heightened for the last three years, with reports of infections in both wild and domestic birds in North America since December 2021.
Konkle said DATCP has been sending information to dairy, poultry and other livestock producers all year, encouraging them to improve biosecurity measures to prevent the spread of disease and protect their birds and animals.
The H5N1 HPAI virus is highly contagious and can be fatal to domestic poultry. The severity of the illness varies depending on its strain and on which species of animal it affects, according to DATCP.
The virus spreads by contact with infected birds, commingling with wild birds or their droppings, and through clothing or equipment used by people working with infected birds or animals.
DHS has a web page with guidance for Protective Actions for People. The department can provide a limited amount of surplus personal protective equipment for farm workers, businesses and processors from the department’s medical stockpile through its Office of Preparedness and Emergency Health Care.
State law requires all Wisconsin livestock owners to register where their animals are kept, which helps health officials alert flock and herd owners.
Avian flu in domestic birds tends to increase late in the year, likely due to weather conditions and the flow of migrating birds through Wisconsin. “There’s more opportunity, when it’s circulating in these wild birds” for the virus to spread, Konkle said.
People who have contact with livestock and animals are at higher risk for exposure to the H5N1 avian flu virus and should avoid contact with sick or ill animals, said Maxted.
When they must be in contact, people should follow “common sense” precautions, washing their hands frequently and wearing protective clothing including gloves, respiratory protection and eye protection, she said, and clothing exposed to animals should be cleaned and disinfected.
Haupt said the DHS bureau of environmental and occupational health has been working with farmers and farm workers to inform them about the risks of avian influenza and precautions to protect themselves from the virus. The agency urges people who do get sick to take time off.
“If someone is sick, if you don’t have to work — don’t work,” Haupt said. “Stay home, give yourself time to heal.”
Wisconsin Examiner is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Wisconsin Examiner maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Ruth Conniff for questions: info@wisconsinexaminer.com.
AFP
December 18, 2024
Rescued chickens gather in an aviary at Farm Sanctuary's Southern California Sanctuary in Acton, California
December 18, 2024
Rescued chickens gather in an aviary at Farm Sanctuary's Southern California Sanctuary in Acton, California
- Copyright GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File MARIO TAMA
Issam AHMED
An elderly patient in Louisiana is in a “critical condition” with severe avian influenza, US authorities announced Wednesday, the first serious human case in the country as fears grow of a possible bird flu pandemic.
The new case brings the total number of infections in the United States during the current 2024 outbreak to 61, with other patients experiencing mild symptoms they recovered from at home.
The severity of the Louisiana case has heightened alarm, echoing similar cases worldwide. Last month, a teenager in Canada was also hospitalized with a severe case of bird flu.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Louisiana patient was exposed to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks.
“The patient is experiencing severe respiratory illness related to H5N1 infection and is currently hospitalized in critical condition,” the Louisiana health department said in a statement to AFP, adding the person has underlying medical conditions and is over the age of 65.
“Over the 20-plus years of global experience with this virus, H5 infection has previously been associated with severe illness in other countries, including illnesses that resulted in death in up to 50 percent of cases,” Demetre Daskalakis, a senior CDC official told reporters on a call.
“The demonstrated potential for this virus to cause severe illness in people continues to highlight the importance of the joint… US federal response,” he added.
The case was confirmed last Friday, according to the CDC. Genetic sequencing revealed that the H5N1 virus in the patient belonged to the D1.1 genotype.
This genotype has recently been detected in wild birds and poultry in the United States, and in human cases reported in Washington state and in the Canadian case, in British Columbia province.
The D1.1 genotype differs from the B3.13 genotype, which has been identified in dairy cows, some poultry outbreaks, and human cases with mild symptoms such as conjunctivitis.
A handful of US cases have had no known animal source of infection, including a case in Delaware, the CDC reported on Wednesday.
Health authorities, however, say there is still not enough evidence to suggest human-to-human transmission is occurring and that the overall risk to the general public remains low.
– Mounting concern –
Still, concerns are mounting among scientists and public health experts that the cases being detected represent only a fraction of the true prevalence.
Meg Schaeffer, an epidemiologist at the US-based SAS Institute, told AFP recently there were now several factors suggesting that “avian flu is knocking on our door and could start a new pandemic any day.”
US cases have included a young child in California, reported last month.
The current US outbreak of the flu — technically the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, or H5N1 bird flu — was first reported in March in dairy cows.
The rising frequency and diversity of mammalian infections in recent years have heightened concerns about the virus’ adaptability and its potential for cross-species transmission.
Compounding these concerns is the possible role of raw milk as a vector for transmission.
The US Department of Agriculture issued a new federal order requiring that raw milk samples be shared on request from any dairy farm and milk transporter.
The order also mandates that any samples testing positive for bird flu be reported to federal authorities.
Uncertainty looms over how the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump will address the outbreak.
Trump’s pick for health secretary, vaccine skeptic and conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is a known proponent of raw milk, raising questions about the administration’s stance on public health measures.
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