Avian influenza found in South Carolina

[TooCheep]

A couple poultry workers have gotten it in USA. But big poultry had bio security already in place for other diseases.
Other countries have had people died from it.
https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/h5n1-bird-flu-what-to-know

Thanks for the info. I've been searching, but haven't found info on the poultry workers. Do you have a link?

The article was very good. It did mention one person who they think was infected by poultry, but they really didn't sound confident:

April 2022 in Colorado, involved a person who reported mild symptoms after being exposed to poultry also presumed to be infected, although this case may have been a contamination of the nasal passages with the virus as opposed to an actual infection, according to the CDC.

As for earlier deaths, I don't doubt them at all. There have been hundreds in SE Asia over the last two decades. At this point my speculation is an earlier, more pathogenic-to-humans version (like Alpha/Delta vs. Omicron Covid), poor sanitation and/or poor health care resources. The case a month or two ago in Mexico seems to be more a case of a person that was in really poor health who died "with" HPAI, so I'm not sure that means anything.

At this point, I'm really wondering if the current version of HPAI is anywhere near as deadly (even to birds) as has been advertised (90% death rate in 2 days). The one data point above from the California bird sanctuary seems to indicate a roughly 17% death rate. Killing off entire flocks of birds keeps us from understanding if the version we are dealing with now is far less deadly.

 

[Molpet]

https://www.livenowfox.com/news/bird-flu-colorado-workers-three-cases-cdc

 

[NanaK]

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-in...u-infections-5-people-who-culled-sick-poultry

 

[NanaK]

CDC statement

"These workers reported symptoms after being exposed to H5N1 virus-infected poultry. All workers who tested positive reported mild illness. The workers reported conjunctivitis and eye tearing, as well as more typical flu symptoms of fever, chills, coughing and sore throat/runny nose. Additional cases may be reported and subsequently confirmed as monitoring and testing is ongoing."

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/p-0715-confirm-h5.html

 

[Molpet]

AI and botulism, double whammy
https://www.oregonlive.com/environm...m-at-wildlife-refuges-in-southern-oregon.html

 

[RoyalChick]

AI and botulism, double whammy
https://www.oregonlive.com/environm...m-at-wildlife-refuges-in-southern-oregon.html

Oh that is tragic.

 

[Sydney65]

AI and botulism, double whammy
https://www.oregonlive.com/environm...m-at-wildlife-refuges-in-southern-oregon.html

Botulism has been a concern for past few years as drought conditions continue. "..limited water supply has been vastly overallocated, and historic drought has turned a bad situation catastrophic. What little water is available goes first to endangered fish, c’waam, koptu, and salmon, then to farmers. In recent years, the refuges have gone bone dry in the summer."
Botulism is the result of environmental conditions (drought) causing an existing bacteria to germinate, producing the toxin that causes Avian Botulism.
Wylie Coyote represents human nature well: failing to note where he's standing, he sets off an explosion that sends him in a free fall, struggling to create a parachute from a handkerchief.

 

[Molpet]

Finally researching genes of birds that survived

https://www.poultryworld.net/poultr...aHTZWpLXYOKQnIg&mlnmsg=Kf-azXBpAx4YHxQ8XJ1zCA

 

[My15Ducks]

I’m looking for info, I’ve heard that some counties (maybe in California?) allow infected flocks to be quarantined instead of culled. Does anyone know anything about that? Thank you!!

 

[TooCheep]

I’m looking for info, I’ve heard that some counties (maybe in California?) allow infected flocks to be quarantined instead of culled. Does anyone know anything about that? Thank you!!

The only reference I've seen was one that I listed in a post above. An animal sanctuary was allowed to deal with HPAI via quarantine rather than culling because they didn't produce meat animals by the California Ag Dept. I did a little searching, but couldn't find more info.