Bird Flu Spreading in Cattle, One Man Infected from Contact with Cattle

[Anianna]

Usually cases of bird flu in humans comes directly from infected birds.  In this case, the infection is believed to have come from an infected cow.  This iteration is Type A H5N1, which is extremely rare in humans in the US.

It's only the second time a person in the United States has been diagnosed with what's known as Type A H5N1 virus. In 2022, a prison inmate in a work program picked it up while killing infected birds at a poultry farm in Montrose County, Colorado.

https://www.click2houston.com/news/texas/2024/04/01/texas-person-is-diagnosed-with-bird-flu-after-being-in-contact-with-cows/

Might be nothin'.  Might not.

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

Data to watch. Yup

[Anianna]

"Fragments of bird flu virus genome found in pasteurized milk, FDA says.
The test cannot tell if the virus is live. FDA still considers milk supply safe."

https://arstechnica.com/uncategorized/2024/04/fda-finds-genetic-traces-of-bird-flu-virus-in-pasteurized-milk/

Definitely need to keep an eye on this. 

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

Well, fork.

[majorhavoc]

I found this article very helpful. It contains a number of useful resources, including a dynamic (continually updated as information become available) map showing the progression of the outbreak.  Northern Texas/New Mexico/Oklahoma and Michigan seem to be hot spots. 

This is worse than authorities and the mainstream news media are letting on.

[flybynight]

I Wonder how this is affecting my former work place. They had a  Hot lab studying H5N1. 

[Uomo Senza Nome]

I found this article very helpful. It contains a number of useful resources, including a dynamic (continually updated as information become available) map showing the progression of the outbreak.  Northern Texas/New Mexico/Oklahoma and Michigan seem to be hot spots.

This is worse than authorities and the mainstream news media are letting on.

I expect a lot more media suppression as we approach the election. Anything that appears that it hasn't been handled and in control will be minimized.

[Ever (Zombiepreparation)]

So, what's our defense if this does proliferate?

[Anianna]

Several outlets are reporting a steep rise in demand for raw milk as people believe that infected raw milk will give them immunity.  This has the potential to develop mutation that can spread from person to person, which would be bad news.  Additionally, the World Health Organization has identified 889 human cases since 2003, of which 463 died, meaning the mortality rate in humans is about 52%.

So, what's our defense if this does proliferate?

Any strains that mutate to spread in human populations will be included in the annual flu vaccine.  Bird flu is not a novel virus, so we already know how to make vaccines for it, we just have to keep up with mutations.  In the meantime, avoid potential vectors of infection, practice proper food handling, and practice good personal hygiene.  

[Anianna]

So, the bird flu spreading through cattle is H1N1. 

A recently deceased man in Mexico was found to have been infected with another strain, H5N2 which has been a problem on poultry farms in Mexico but never before found in humans.  What is really strange about this case is that the man was already bedridden and there is no indication of his having been in contact with animals, the normal way bird flu strains spread, and the people he had contact with all tested negative. 

This may be an isolated case, but a strain never before seen in humans making that leap is something to keep an eye on.  He was compromised, but that's how strains can get a foothold to mutate to be a bigger threat.  I'm overwhelmed with curiosity in regards to how he got infected.

https://www.livescience.com/health/flu/1st-known-human-case-of-h5n2-bird-flu-kills-person-in-mexico

A caveat here, the headline says the H5N2 killed him, but this guy was pretty sick already and I think it's a little disingenuous to claim that is the one thing that killed him when he had already been bedridden and poorly and it's not a good indicator of the potential lethality of H5N2 to humans, generally speaking. 

The recent case in Mexico involved a 59-year-old who developed fever, shortness of breath, diarrhea, nausea and general malaise in mid-April. The person sought medical treatment at a Mexico City hospital on April 24 but died the same day "due to complications of his condition." The individual had multiple underlying conditions and had already been bedridden for other reasons for three weeks prior to developing any bird flu symptoms, his relatives reported.

[Z.O.R.G.]

 well, dang...