930 bird flu outbreaks reported in one month and a half
According to the latest FAO report, 930 bird flu outbreaks have been reported in the last 45 days across the globe. The US is the latest country to be confronted with multiple bans in various markets (the Philippines, Mexico etc) as the virus is now spread across 13 states in both poultry farms and wild birds. Outbreaks were found in domesticated flocks in Maryland, Missouri, Indiana, Connecticut and Iowa last week, as the virus continued to spread across North America, according to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
A preprint study by scientists from the USDA which has not yet been peer-reviewed found evidence that the latest outbreak of bird flu in North America was transmitted from Northern Europe over the Atlantic Ocean, the first documented introduction of a Eurasian HPAI via the Atlantic Flyway to the US.
The study also found that while HPAI in wild birds was usually tied to spillover from domestic birds, it seems that such viruses are now being maintained in wild bird populations as well, with researchers adding that this highlights the importance of monitoring wild birds.
The CDC noted that while the H5N1 viruses detected in late 2021 and 2022 are different from earlier H5N1 viruses, they still lack changes seen in the past that have been associated with viruses spreading more easily among poultry, infecting people more easily and causing severe illness in people.
A large number of bird flu outbreaks have been reported throughout Europe, Africa and Asia in recent weeks and months, mostly due to the H5N1 subtype, which comes from the H5 lineage, according to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). The organization warned that a further increase in outbreaks is expected in the coming months.
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