Top Line
Avian flu is spreading among dairy cows in the United States, with three dairy workers confirmed to be infected. Although human-to-human transmission has not been confirmed, experts warn that the virus is so deadly that safety precautions like masks, vaccines and safety goggles will be necessary if it is declared a pandemic.
Key Facts
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told Forbes that while the “public health risk at this time is low,” they are closely monitoring the situation, monitoring human and animal exposure to H5N1 avian influenza.
Although rare, avian influenza usually Contact There are no known cases of bird infection and no known cases of human-to-human transmission.
Dr. Jessica Justman, an infectious disease specialist and epidemiologist at Columbia University, told Forbes that the virus can spread from animals to humans through the air or through contact with contaminated surfaces, but the exact process of infection isn’t fully understood.
Former CDC Director Robert Redfield was instrumental in overseeing the agency during the COVID-19 pandemic.Said NewsNation said earlier this month that an avian flu pandemic is inevitable, so “it’s not a question of if, but when.”
Redfield cited bird flu’s high mortality rate as a concern if a pandemic were to be declared. Of the 889 confirmed cases from 2003 through May, 52 percent were fatal, he said. data From the World Health Organization.
WHO definition Pandemic As a massive epidemic that has claimed millions of lives, disrupted societies, and devastated economies, Do not declare An avian influenza pandemic does not occur until the virus has caused multiple outbreaks in at least one country, spread to other countries, and caused high mortality rates in at least a portion of the population.
Earlier this year, the CDC began including H5N1 in influenza A. Wastewater Monitoring The data will help better monitor the spread of avian influenza, but it has limitations: it cannot be distinguished from other influenza A viruses, and tests cannot identify the source of the virus, which may come from humans, animals, or animal by-products.
If an avian flu pandemic were to be declared, what safety measures would be put in place?
Experts warn that if avian flu is declared a pandemic, safety measures must be put in place to limit its spread. Dr. Donal Bisanzio, a senior epidemiologist at nonprofit research institute RTI International, told Forbes that measures like mask-wearing and social distancing should be implemented first. “These all need to be implemented to buy time for a vaccine,” Dr. Bisanzio said. Justman told Forbes that new methods like protective eyewear could be effective safety measures, especially for farmworkers who come into daily contact with potentially infected animals. three “U.S. dairy farmers infected with avian influenza have shown symptoms in the eyes, such as conjunctivitis and inflammation, suggesting that the virus can spread when humans touch or rub their eyes with infected hands. She also cited the recent CDC bird flu report.” study The study found that ferrets, which as mammals have a similar respiratory system to humans, became infected after eye contact. Dr. Maciej Boni, an epidemiologist and professor at Temple University, told Forbes that he doesn’t think safety measures for an avian flu pandemic will be similar to those taken during the COVID-19 pandemic, because experts don’t yet know how the virus will behave if it mutates and starts to spread between humans. “H5N1 is not 10 or 20 times more deadly. [than COVID-19]”The mortality rate is 1,000 times higher,” Boni said.
Is there an avian flu vaccine for humans?
There are several avian influenza vaccines approved by the FDA, including: Sequoise and Biomedical A subsidiary of GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, Quebec. In the U.S., Stockpiling Although the FDA-approved bird flu vaccine is being produced in large quantities, there isn’t enough to vaccinate the entire country. expect The goal is to have 150 million doses of the vaccine ready within six months of a human avian influenza pandemic being announced. “I think the right thing to do is simply to pre-manufacture and have hundreds of millions of doses of the vaccine ready,” Boni said of pandemic preparedness. Announced In May, the company was asked to manufacture about 5 million doses of the avian flu vaccine under the brand name of the Ministry of Health and Human Services as part of a pre-pandemic preparation. Bisanzio noted that the rollout of the avian flu vaccine requires better communication between public health agencies and the public. “There has been a lot of misinformation floating around, so [about the COVID-19 pandemic]
That caused problems with the vaccine rollout and some people didn’t want to get vaccinated,” he said.
Main Background
As of May 21, more than 97 million poultry (mostly chickens) have been culled due to avian influenza in 48 states since 2022, and cases have been confirmed in 118 dairy herds in 12 states. data From the CDC (Unlike chickens and cows Seems to have recovered The U.S. Department of Agriculture believes wild migratory birds are the source of the cattle infection. Recently, experts have worried that the virus may have mutated to make it easier to infect humans. Jeremy Faller, chief scientist at the WHO, called the cattle infection in the U.S. a “major concern” and urged public health officials to continue to closely monitor the situation, “because the way it spreads could change.” There is no evidence that humans have contracted avian flu by eating infected meat, but the USDA said there is no evidence that humans have contracted avian flu by eating infected meat. prompt So that people can eat meat that has been cooked to a safe temperature. To be properly cooked, cuts of beef must have an internal temperature of 145 degrees Chicken should be cooked to 160 degrees Fahrenheit, ground beef to 160 degrees, and chicken to 165 degrees. Rare and Medium-Rare Steaks Below Cook to this temperature: Properly cooked eggs, with an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, will kill bacteria and viruses, including avian flu. according to According to the CDC, consuming unpasteurized dairy products can also Not recommended.
References
Bird flu (H5N1) explained: Toddler infected with different strain – 2nd case in India (Forbes)