Category: Avian Influenza
H5N1 flu is now killing birds on the continent of Antarctica
New Scientist A highly pathogenic strain of bird flu is spreading south along the Antarctic Peninsula and could devastate populations of penguins and other seabirds. H5N1 bird flu has been found in dead birds on Antarctica for the first time. The deadly strain of bird flu is currently spreading south along the Antarctic Peninsula and […]
Mar 12, 2025
Two domestic cats infected with H5N1 virus in Michigan
Detroit News Experts are urging cat owners to refrain from feeding their pets raw meat or unpasteurized milk after the bird flu virus was detected in two indoor domestic cats in Michigan. The Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory said cats appear to be highly susceptible to the HPAI A(H5N1) strain of avian influenza and “increased vigilance […]
Mar 11, 2025
Avian flu was in Oregon wastewater weeks before state’s first bird outbreaks, study shows
CIDRAP A retrospective analysis reveals that H5 avian flu surfaced in Oregon wastewater weeks before the state’s first outbreak in poultry and wild birds and 2 years before the first outbreak in US cattle. A team led by Oregon State University researchers evaluated 551 influenza A virus–positive wastewater samples from 20 sites from September 2021 to July […]
Mar 5, 2025
USDA Unveils Blueprint to Combat the Avian Influenza Outbreak
AgNetWest Continue reading USDA will expand its highly successful Wildlife Biosecurity Assessments to producers across the nation, beginning with egg-layer facilities, to safeguard farms from the cause of 83% of HPAI cases: transmission from wild birds. These additional safety measures have proven to minimize flu cases; the approximately 150 facilities that follow these protocols have […]
Mar 5, 2025
New Jersey: First Ever Feline Bird Flu Case
Action News A cat in New Jersey was euthanized after becoming severely ill from a confirmed case of bird flu, the state’s health department said Friday. The cat was not exposed to infected poultry, livestock, raw milk or meat. It was allowed to roam outdoors, so it’s not known if it had exposure to wild birds […]
Mar 5, 2025
To the Pandemic Czar: Are We Prepared to Talk About Bird Flu?
MedPage Today Effective communication across all levels of government is as important as a vaccine. The threat of a widespread human outbreak of bird flu is on the horizon. And, with it, the potential for a pandemic. The next pandemic — whether from the H5N1 strain circulating since 2022 or something else — may not […]
Mar 4, 2025
Herding cats: It’s past time to include pets in disease surveillance
STAT H5N1 is just one reason why. As veterinarians, flu scientists, and biosecurity experts, we have watched with growing concern the rise in H5N1 avian influenza in cats. Since 2022, more than 100 domesticated cats in the United States have had confirmed infections — some house pets, some barn cats, some feral — with high mortality, although […]
Mar 4, 2025
US dodged a bird flu pandemic in 1957 thanks to eggs and dumb luck – with a new strain spreading fast, will Americans get lucky again?
Lake County. News In recent months, Americans looking for eggs have faced empty shelves in their grocery stores. The escalating threat of avian flu has forced farmers to kill millions of chickens to prevent its spread. Nearly 70 years ago, Maurice Hilleman, an expert in influenza, also worried about finding eggs. Hilleman, however, needed eggs not for his breakfast, but […]
Feb 26, 2025
Exposure and survival of wild raptors during the 2022–2023 highly pathogenic influenza a virus outbreak
Nature The global outbreak of clade 2.3.4.4b H5N1 highly pathogenic influenza A virus (HP H5N1) has had an unprecedented impact on wild birds including raptors, but long-term population impacts have not been addressed. To determine if raptors survive infections with HP H5N1, raptors from the upper Midwest United States were serologically tested for antibodies to […]
Feb 26, 2025
Pennsylvania: Bird flu affecting more than 600 birds at Butler County farm
TribLive The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed Butler County’s first case of bird flu. The virus was detected in a backyard flock of 610 birds. The USDA confirmed the infection on Feb. 20. It classified the farm, which was not identified by the USDA, as a kind that does not sell the birds or their eggs […]
Feb 26, 2025