#avian influenza

[honkifurhoary]

Emmanuel the Emu: A Story of HPAI Mismanagement

Emmanuel, the TikTok-famous emu owned by Taylor Blake of Knuckle Bump Farms, made national news last month when Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) hit the farm. According to Blake’s initial Twitter thread, Knuckle Bump Farms lost 99% of their avian flock- over 50 individuals- in only three days. These deaths were attributed both to the disease itself and to a cull carried out by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, who did so with Blake’s permission. Emmanuel and a black swan named Rico were the only two survivors, with Emmanuel left unable to stand, unwilling to eat or drink, and quickly fading. Hundreds of thousands rallied behind Emmanuel on social media as Blake documented Emmanuel’s progress, reaching out to public figures like Dr. Pol of The Incredible Dr. Pol and Bindi Erwin of Crikey! It’s the Irwins for help when she failed to find any other sources for emu rehabilitation. But soon, controversy emerged.

Early on, avian influenza experts expressed concern that Blake was not wearing any PPE when interacting with a presumably HPAI-positive bird. Avian influenza is transmissible from bird to human which, combined with the virus’ ability to mix genes and rapidly change, means that PPE is universally recommended when dealing with a suspected or confirmed HPAI outbreak.

In response to concerns, Blake explained that “Emmanuel freaks out whenever we approach him wearing a mask” and that the farm is on a state-mandated quarantine for 150 days, which is the amount of time HPAI is estimated to survive in the environment under ideal conditions. This quarantine reportedly only allowed Blake, Blake’s girlfriend Kristian Haggerty, Blake’s family, and veterinary professionals to enter the property. “I have taken every precaution recommended by the FDA” Blake stated, referencing the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) rather than the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Many people, including HPAI experts, found this explanation unsatisfactory and instead decided to contact the FDACS and USDA directly. Both the FDACS and USDA work collaboratively to manage avian influenza outbreaks in Florida. Dr. Danielle Stanek of the Florida Department of Health clarified that the DOH can recommend that private individuals comply with CDC guidelines, which includes wearing full PPE when interacting with HPAI-infected birds, but they cannot mandate that they do so. Therefore, Blake’s decision to forgo PPE was hers to make, even if it wasn’t in accordance with the recommendations of the FDACS, CDC, USDA, and Florida DOH.

Just as discourse between experts and Emmanuel fans reached its peak, Blake announced that Emmanuel tested negative for HPAI. Instead, Emmanuel’s sudden decline was attributed to stress. “Emus are incredibly susceptible to stress. He was incredibly overwhelmed by the state coming in and euthanizing our flock . . . He stopped eating the day they depopulated.” His lingering issues- the inability to stand or walk independently, twisted neck (torticollis), continued inappetence and dehydration, and lethargy- were caused by a nighttime collapse that left Emmanuel “thrashing on the ground for hours, trying to get himself up”. “He never once had a single symptom of AI, other than not eating”, Blake stated.

HPAI symptoms in birds varies depending on the species and the individual. In chickens, HPAI often presents as respiratory and digestive distress, followed quickly by death. In other poultry species, symptoms may also include the nervous system, causing “tremors, twisted necks, paralyzed wings, laying down and pedaling”. Ratites- referring to the diverse group of keel-less birds that include emus, ostriches, rheas, kiwis, and cassowaries- also tend to develop neurological symptoms. Notably, emus can present with twisted necks (torticollis), ataxia (discoordination), leg and wing paralysis, inability to stand, decreased food and water consumption, purple discoloration or swelling of the legs and head, and lethargy. This corresponds with many of the symptoms Blake has documented in Emmanuel. And it should, considering that Emmanuel did test positive for HPAI.

Test results completed on October 27th, 2022 at the USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories showed that Emmanuel’s serum sample, collected six days after the start of the outbreak, contained antibody levels that were consistent with recent infection.

When Blake announced Emmanuel’s stress diagnosis, she was likely relying on information provided by a rapid test, which can provide results within 48 hours. These tests detect viral proteins that indicate active infection and virus shedding. Serology tests, on the other hand, look for the presence of antibodies produced in response to infection, not necessarily active infection. For an indeterminate number of days prior to the sample collection (October 17, 2022) Emmanuel had an active HPAI infection that, rather than stress, likely led to his rapid decline.

Why, then, was Emmanuel not included in the state’s cull on Knuckle Bump Farms? An email between Dr. Michael Short, the FDACS’ Animal Industry Director, and Kassandra Curiel of the FDACS’ Office of the Commissioner, answers this question. Dr. Short states that “USDA guidance is that ratites (emus and ostriches), black swans and exotic pet birds do not have to be euthanized due to lower risk”. Blake echoes this on her Twitter, when she says that “the state only focused on the “super spreaders” which are poultry species and ducks. Ratites aren’t included because they typically aren’t as susceptible.”.

This allowed Knuckle Bump Farms’ four emus (Emily, Eliza, Elliot, and Emmanuel) and three black swans (two unnamed females and Rico), to be exempted from the cull. I cannot find any reference, either in USDA literature or anywhere else, that supports Dr. Short’s statement. In fact, all the literature that I reviewed and all the experts I talked to during my research only confirmed the devastating effects that HPAI can have on both ratites and black swans. This, coupled with the fact that three of Knuckle Bump Farms’ four emus and two of their three black swans died when “the virus hit them extremely hard and very quickly”, calls Dr. Short’s statement into question.

The USDA was also unable to substantiate Dr. Short’s statement. When asked how exemptions to culls were determined they explained that, rather than look at individual species, the USDA classifies HPAI-infected domestic birds as either commercial, backyard poultry, or backyard non-poultry. These definitions ascribe risk of potential HPAI spread by determining the level of contact a poultry premise has with other poultry premises. If a private farm or private household, where the poultry does not have any contact with poultry beyond the property, has an outbreak then they are classified as a non-poultry premises, even if they have chickens, turkeys, or other poultry birds. These non-poultry premises can thus be exempted from culling all their birds by being placed on quarantines by state officials, provided that they adhere to the quarantine and continue to not have contact with any poultry facilities. Knuckle Bump Farms does not sell poultry products; therefore, they were classified as backyard non-poultry and eligible for quarantine. The FDACS seems to have added their own interpretation onto this guidance when they specify ratites, black swans, and exotic pet birds as “lower risk”. I reached out to Dr. Short for comment but received no response.

This isn’t the only time Dr. Short and, by extension, the FDACS demonstrated faulty logic. In that same email between him and Curiel, Dr. Short used this comparison to explain why a citizen’s concern about Emmanuel’s exemption from the cull was unfounded.

“I have heard of only one report of a clinically ill human, over the past 1.5 years of a national response to the current avian flu outbreak. The risk of HPAI to the owner is much less than occurred with household pets that tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 (Covid).  I am assuming no one would advocate to euthanize all pets testing positive for Covid (At least I have not heard of anyone asking us to euthanize pets).

The risk of avian influenza is constantly occurring with all the wild birds in South Florida.  My understanding (not being a human health expert) is the risk to people, especially children and those immuno-compromised at public or private lakes, ponds and waterways from the AI being shed by water fowl is much greater than the sick emu at knuckle bump farm.”

Dr. Ben Golas, a VMD and postdoc with the USGS who is currently working on avian influenza research, weighed in. “It’s a bit like comparing apples and oranges to talk about risk of transmission of COVID vs. HPAI. With COVID, our primary concern is human-to-human contact. [. . .] With HPAI, farm animals are euthanized not only because the disease spreads within the farm flock like wildfire, but also to prevent spreading infection locally to other farms, because HPAI virus can be stable in the environment.”

The CDC agrees. “There is no evidence that animals play a significant role in spreading SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, to people. […] It’s important to remember that people are much more likely to get COVID-19 from other people than from animals. There is no need to euthanize or otherwise harm animals infected with SARS-CoV-2.” When it comes to HPAI, however, they emphasize that human-to-human spread is rare and often limited to only a few individuals. Bird-to-human transmission is the primary method of human infection, with each new infection increasing the risk that a new, more virulent strain will emerge. This, along with the potential for massive bird-to-bird outbreaks that could devastate both wildlife and industry, is why complete depopulation (euthanasia) is standard for HPAI and not COVID-19.

The FDACS seems to be operating on contradicting and unsubstantiated information when it comes to managing HPAI outbreaks. Unsurprisingly, the employees seem equally conflicted in their internal emails regarding Knuckle Bump Farms. One Florida USDA representative noted, while forwarding a citizen concern about Blake’s lack of PPE, that “her face is real close to a bird that has HPAI”. Another USDA employee responded “actually, in one of the pictures she appears to be kissing it on the head.”. Dr. Kendra Stauffer of the USDA wrote, “. . . part of the allowing the pet bird to live was that there were rules the owner was to follow from DOH, which clearly she is not”.

Other employees, however, were eager to show their support. Commissioner Nikki Fried of the FDACS posted a photo of her, Blake, and Haggerty, and later posted a photo of herself drinking Knuckle Bump Farms’ branded beer while wearing an Emmanuel t-shirt.

Fried’s support generated a lot of concern, particularly amongst local farmers. One Florida emu farmer stated, “my disappointment and concern is 100% with the actions of Nikki Fried as Agricultural Commissioner to allow some birds to be exempt from depopulation, including emus, for no quantifiable reason. Emus are susceptible to HPAI. Emus in other states have contracted HPAI in this current outbreak and they either died on their own or were put down. Research shows they are susceptible to HPAI, and can spread it to other birds and humans. The decision by Fried and FDACS makes no sense and it sets a dangerous precedent.”

Considering that Blake has over 847.4K followers on Twitter, 938K on Instagram, and 2.4 million on TikTok, the precedent the FDACS and USDA have set here is, indeed, dangerous. Many of Blake’s followers learned about avian influenza for the first time through her documentation of Emmanuel’s illness and the state’s response to the outbreak. “I watch for Emmanuel updates every day! This has also been a great lesson for many people in farming education.”, one follower said. Another echoed this sentiment, saying “Thank you for taking the time to let us know what’s going on, and answering questions. You truly are an educator”.

Herein lies the problem. Knuckle Bump Farms is a small, backyard operation. Through social media, however, they reach millions. This specific outbreak of HPAI and its subsequent (mis-)management by the FDACS and USDA has now set the standard for many, rather than the exception. Blake’s public failure to comply with PPE recommendations, the lack of transparency regarding Emmanuel’s true diagnosis, a similar lack of transparency within the FDACS and USDA regarding this outbreak, exemptions to cull protocols made with seemingly no supporting data, and a publicly-elected official openly (and financially) supporting Blake through this process, all pose a serious threat to public confidence in HPAI management and future public health. The concerns of farmers, virologists, public health workers and organizations, wildlife rehabilitators, and animal sanctuaries have been ignored, particularly when they asked whether Emmanuel’s fame and the risk of public backlash led to the FDACS’ decision to leave him and several other symptomatic birds alive. It seems, through this research, that there is more support for this theory than the narrative we’ve been provided until now. It is my hope that, with the publishing of this information, the very real concerns raised by people directly effected by HPAI will be given the weight they deserve.

Please take this opportunity to learn about avian influenza from reputable sources:

Protecting Birds from Avian Influenza

Avian influenza and PPE

CDC Avian Influenza

USDA HPAI Response Plan

Florida Avian Influenza Update (Oct 2022)

A huge thank you to the following experts who generously answered my questions: Dr. Ben Golas, Dr. Jim Wellehan, and Dr. Jennifer Riley.

[kj-bishop]

Posting this for Australians, mainly.

"In a country as vast as Australia, the public plays an important role too.

We’re being asked to immediately report any unusual bird deaths to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.

Health authorities have also warned against handling sick or dead birds."

[disasterhimbo]

I’m not sure if anyone’s noticed, but if you’re wondering why I often go days without posting anything recently, it’s the long covid. Sometimes I’m too tired to even use my phone in bed.

Wear a respirator (KN95 or better, N95s tend to seal better but it depends on your face shape).

There’s a 10% chance of long covid every time you get infected, 59% of transmission is asymptomatic, you can get it outside (I did), and this shit sucks ass. Also, there’s gonna be a bird flu pandemic soon too if there isn’t already.

[rikaklassen]

Viral transmission through eyes is confirmed

So, not only dairy workers are coming down with severe conjunctivitis (pink eye), the ferret study confirms ocular transmission.

Better stock up on prescription snorkeling goggles (if you need glasses and cannot wear contact lenses) and firefighting goggles for smoke jumpers.

If you want to help me buy equipment to keep bestie safe from COVID, climate-induced wildfires and the bird flu, here is her PayPal: paypal.me/bglamours.

[grrlscientist]

H5N1 Avian Influenza Detected In New York City’s Wild Birds🪶 | Icahn School of Medicine, BioBus & the WildBirdFund, published by Journal of Virology

by @GrrlScientist 🦠 🔬 🛟 🧪

[thoughtlessarse]

Cows have entry portals for both human and bird flus. This new finding may mean that cattle could host both types of flus at once. The two viruses could then swap parts to create a new type of influenza, maybe even one that could cause a pandemic. Cattle have three types of influenza A receptors — entry portals viruses use to infect host cells — veterinarian Charlotte Kristensen and colleagues report May 3 at bioRxiv.org. One portal is like a receptor that decorates human cells. Another is like that found in chickens. And the third resembles receptors from ducks. One of those avian receptors may have allowed a virus from a wild bird to infect a dairy cow in Texas, leading to the current H5N1 bird flu outbreak in cattle. Researchers have long thought cattle were resistant to influenza A, says Kristensen, of the University of Copenhagen. Some cows have been infected in lab studies, and there have been suggestions that cows might sometimes catch human seasonal influenza. But it surprised many experts when H5N1 bird flu was found in dairy cattle and in grocery store milk this spring (SN: 4/25/24).

continue reading

[anarchywoofwoof]

Idk where to go to with this question. If H5N1 is being found in house mice, how do we keep indoor cats safe? This is making me so nervous and upset

definitely get why you’re feeling nervous. h5n1 being found in house mice is super alarming, but there are some practical steps you can take relatively quickly and easily to keep your indoor cats safe. the best defense really is a good offense when it comes to situations like this.

first and foremost, if you have regular mice visitors, you need to find where they are entering and deal with the issue. trying to mouse-proof your house as much as possible is secondary. seal any cracks or holes in walls, floors, and around windows and doors where mice might get in. it’s also a good idea to store food in sealed containers - especially dog food, cat food, etc. if you live in a rural area and have farm animals, think about how you're storing their food. i can't provide much in the way of resources there.

if you have mice that you're actively trying to rid yourself of, you're gonna have to consider using humane traps to catch them and get them out of the house quickly. there are some other options out there that don’t involve harmful chemicals or poisons, which are safer for humans & animals, but your priority should be having zero mice by any means necessary. you don't want the problem to multiply and for them to start coming & going, interacting with the outside wildlife.

also, make sure to regularly check, inspect and clean your cat’s eating and sleeping areas. washing their bedding and toys can help reduce any risk of contamination. keep an eye on your cat’s health and behavior; if you notice anything weird like respiratory issues or nasal and eye discharge, contact your vet right away. another good precaution is to limit your cat’s exposure to areas where mice might be more prevalent, like basements or garages. if you can, try to keep these areas off-limits to your cat for now.

this may seem overboard to some people, but considering how insanely deadly H5N1 has proved to cats, it's all incredibly necessary.

[ohello0]

Ok so…. H5N1 Bird Flu has spread to house mice in New Mexico…. a week after chicken and egg farms in Iowa plan to slaughter ~4 million contaminated chickens… and after bird flu has spread across dairy farms in 9 different states (so far)

But surely no humans have ever caught it—what was that? There have been 4 human cases in the US, 3 in this year alone (all 3 from dairy cows)? Lemme just check the CDCs summary and recommendations on bird flu real quick.. oh. Um . Clap if you’re scared

[covid-safer-hotties]

More and more cases of human H5N1 popping up across the world. If you don't wanna wear a mask for covid, maybe consider wearing one to keep you and others safe from what could easily become the next pandemic.

[mindblowingscience]

The threat is thought to be so severe that it could wipe out the species entirely.

The discovery comes after the distinctive bird's genome was sequenced for the first time in 2021.

Ordinarily, this achievement would be something to celebrate from a scientific perspective – but a comparison with closely-related northern hemisphere white swans has revealed that certain key immune genes are missing from its DNA.

That's likely to be, at least partly, down to the way that the black swan is isolated geographically. These animals haven't had the same exposure to pathogens that are found outside of southeast and southwest Australia, the areas where it primarily lives and breeds.

"[B]lack swans are extremely sensitive to highly pathogenic avian influenza – HPAI which is often referred to as bird flu - and can die from it within three days," says microbiologist Kirsty Short from the University of Queensland in Australia.

Continue Reading

[pandemichub]

Video captioned by PandemicHub!

[scientificinquirer-blog]

DAILY DOSE: Texas Bird Flu Found in Humans, Cattle Alert; Germany Partially Decriminalizes Cannabis Amid Controversy.

TEXAS BIRD FLU ALERT AFTER HUMAN INFECTS FROM COW. Texas health officials have issued an alert about the first confirmed human infection with a bird flu virus in a person exposed to infected dairy cows, presenting with conjunctivitis. This incident underlines the global concern regarding the H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b flu strain, which has previously devastated bird populations and is now found in…

[ricisidro]

New Avian Flu Warning:

Infectious H5N1 bird flu virus survived milk pasteurization at 63°C and 72°C in lab tests, National Institutes of Health (NIH) and UCLA study finds, published in the New England Journal of Medicine on 14 June 2024.

-https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bird-flu-milk-pasteurization-nih-study/

-https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2405488

[commodore-jeep-eep-blog]

[deweydecimalchickens]

Oh fuck this is bad this is very bad.

It doesn't sound like we have easy mammal-to-mammal transmission yet; the mammals are supposed to have got it from eating dead birds.

But influenzas are mercurial and slutty viruses. They adapt like the Borg. They adapt like my cat figuring out which treats hide pills.

The more mammals highly pathogenic H5N1 finds itself in, the greater the chance that one of those mammals is carrying its own influenza virus, a virus that does transmit between mammals easily. And then the bird virus and the mammal virus love each other very much and make a virus baby. And if we're unlucky, that virus baby has the contagiousness of mammal flu (very, airborne) and the fatality rate of bird flu (over 90% in birds, over 50% in humans).