A The highly pathogenic strain of H5N1 flu, also known as avian flu, which has plagued Europe and North America all summer shows no signs of abating, officials warn. More than 2,600 outbreaks have been reported in domestic flocks, as well as more than 3,500 cases in wild birds from 37 European countries, according to Insight of the outbreak from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
“I’m a scientist by training, and like all scientists, I’m used to taking a measured approach and not taking the language I use lightly,” said Jeff Knott, chief policy officer. from the British conservation charity, the RSPB. recount National geographic. “But the gravity of the situation and the scale of the impact is unprecedented and very, very frightening. It’s a huge crisis that could turn into a disaster if we don’t get ahead of it.
See “The number of bird flu cases is skyrocketing in Europe”
The strain, a clade of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza called 2.3.4.4b that emerged in the early 2010s, generally follows a seasonal cycle, with infections being detected in winter and the number of cases decreasing in summer. This year, however, things were different. Mass death of seabirds in the spring heralded a record summer, with a number of outbreaks from June to September five times higher in 2022 than at the same period in 2021, The Guardian reports. And for the first time, virus spread along migratory routes to North America, EFSA says in news Release.
“Unfortunately, we expect the number of cases to continue to rise over the coming months as migratory birds return to the UK, bringing with them an additional risk of disease which can spread through our flocks,” said Christine Middlemiss, the UK’s chief veterinarian. in a statement.
The scale of the outbreak has experts concerned that the infection has become an endemic year-round risk to birds, Reuters reports. According to Knott, more than 60 species of birds, including raptors, have tested positive for the virus, as have some wild mammals. In the United States and Canada, infections have been detected in marine mammals and terrestrial carnivores, EFSA notes in its overview, raising concerns that the virus “may be more mammalian-adaptive”.
See “Bird flu hits the United States hard”
However, according to the EFSA, the risk to the health of the general public remains low and the risk linked to the consumption of poultry is “negligible”. Those who work with birds are at increased risk of exposure and should continue to take precautions, said European Center for Disease Prevention and Control director Andrea Ammon. BBC. “Vigilance is needed to identify influenza virus infections as early as possible and to inform risk assessments and public health measures,” she adds.
See “Predict future zoonotic disease outbreaks”
