Fears of humans catching avian flu heighten as virus spreads to mammals: ‘Quite likely’

US News

By Alyssa Guzman

Fears that people might sometime catch avian flu have heightened because the virus been contracted by mammals, the USDA introduced.

Three states — Washington, Montana, and Kentucky — have reported instances of chicken flu in mammals up to now this 12 months. Washington reported three striped skunks have the virus, whereas Montana discovered it in a mountain lion, and Kentucky had a raccoon, according to the USDA.

The virus is already widespread amongst wild birds and particularly poultry for many years, with greater than 82 million animals presently affected throughout 48 states.

Now that it has unfold to mammals, the worry of people catching the virus has spiked, although threat is presently low.

“I feel it’s fairly possible,” Dr. Chris Walzer, with the Wildlife Conservation Society, told CBS News. “This avian influenza outbreak has been one of many largest threats to wildlife globally. We simply can’t await it to hit human populations.”

Walzer is asking for higher monitoring of the illness to assist shield people from the virus as it’s buying “new traits that might create an issue for us people,” he stated.

Scientists in every single place at the moment are being urged to observe for indicators of avian flu’s unfold, in accordance with CBS Information.

The chicken flu has additionally been present in marine animals in South America, in accordance with a brand new examine revealed in Rising Infectious Illnesses.

Analysis used genomic testing and located practically an identical samples of the virus in 4 sea lions and a seal, according to the Wildlife Society.

In Argentina, Chile, and Peru alone, H5N1 has killed not less than 600,000 wild birds and 50,000 mammals since 2022.

The virus has triggered US egg costs to surge as California’s massive poultry industry has been struck.

Dawn Farms in Sonoma County needed to slaughter whole flock of 550,000 hens, per authorities guidelines.