Bird Flu Pandemic May Spread Slowly — MercoPress

Bird flu pandemic may spread slowly

So far, three people in the United States have tested positive for bird flu after coming into contact with cows.

According to recent developments, the scientific community fears a “slow-motion” version of a bird flu pandemic after the virus was detected in 129 dairy herds in the United States, making transmission to humans more likely, especially after being found in other mammals such as alpacas or domestic cats.

A recent Reuters report mentioned that experts have been on alert for a new subtype of H5N1 avian influenza in migratory birds since 2020. Gaps in surveillance could leave the scientific community several steps behind as the new pandemic progresses relentlessly.

“It’s almost like a pandemic unfolding in slow motion,” said Scott Hensley, a professor of microbiology at the University of Pennsylvania, who said “the threat is pretty low right now, but things could change in the blink of an eye.”

“We need to know which farms are positive, how many cows are positive, how the virus spreads, how long these cows remain infectious and what the exact route of transmission is,” said Dutch virologist Ron Fouchier of the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam.

Jean Marrazzo of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said human surveillance had been “very, very limited” and described it as a “passive reporting mechanism.” While the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been more proactive in testing cows, it has not disclosed which farms have been affected, he added.

So far, three people in the United States have tested positive for bird flu after coming into contact with cows. They were reported to have mild symptoms, while another person in Mexico, who had no contact with animals, was infected with a variant never before seen in humans. Other cases have been reported in India, China and Australia, all caused by different strains.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the risk of H5N1 infection in humans is low, but if that trend were to change, there is an H5N1 vaccine in addition to antiviral drugs like Tamiflu. In this scenario, contingency plans are being developed to ramp up production of tests, treatments, and vaccines. Experts in the U.S. and Europe are providing doses of the immunizer to high-risk groups like agricultural or laboratory workers.

Finland is expected to become the first country to vaccinate fur and poultry workers and those who perform animal health tasks. The United States has been forced to do the same to avoid a new pandemic.