#bird influenza

[ghosst-writer]

while it's important to watch this situation, I don't think it's useful for people to start panicking just yet. there isn't significant evidence that it's transmitted between cows or between humans. be cautious but don't doompost

it begins

[grrlscientist]

First case of human contracting H5N1 BirdFlu from a dairy cow confirmed: ‘The virus has jumped’

Scientists confirmed that a human has contracted the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus🦠 — not from a bird🐓, but a dairy🥛 cow🐄 🛟

[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.

[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

[canisvesperus]

Raw milkers are cooked (no pun intended).

[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 🦠 🔬 🛟 🧪

[covid-safer-hotties]

Some great news....

[nando161mando]

#IDMastodon #Publichealth #Birdflu could become a human pandemic. How are countries preparing?

Wealthy nations are purchasing vaccines against #H5N1 #influenza and boosting surveillance, but there are concerns that low-income countries will be left behind.

[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]