Dr. Dimitar Daskalakis, a senior official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says that during more than 20 years of global experience with this virus, H5 infection has previously been associated with severe diseases in different countries, and even in one case, a disease with a 50% mortality rate. has led He adds that the potential of this virus to cause severe diseases in humans still emphasizes the importance of reacting against its possible outbreak. Meanwhile, the state of California has declared a state of emergency.
California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement that the declaration of a state of emergency is a purposeful measure to ensure that state agencies have the resources and flexibility necessary to respond quickly to this outbreak. He promised the people to expand the state’s regulatory system and support the agricultural sector.
Growing concerns
The Louisiana case was confirmed last Friday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Genetic sequencing showed that the H5N1 virus in the mentioned patient is of D1.1 genotype. This genotype has recently been identified in wild birds and poultry in the United States, as well as in human cases reported in Washington state and in a Canadian case in the province of British Columbia.
D1.1 genotype is different from B3.13 genotype. Genotype B3.13 has been identified in dairy cattle, some bird flu outbreaks, and also in human cases with mild symptoms such as conjunctivitis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, several cases of the disease in the United States have not had a known animal source.
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Rebecca Christopherson, a scientist at Louisiana State University, told AFP that because of a lack of robust surveillance, it is unclear whether there are more cases of animal-to-human transmission or whether the disease is transmitted asymptomatically between humans. He says he is not worried yet, but emphasizes that we should be more careful and alert.
Meg Schaefer, an epidemiologist at the American SAS Institute, recently said in an interview with AFP that there are several reasons that indicate that bird flu is approaching and that a new outbreak may start at any moment.
Experimental vaccine
The United States has stockpiled vaccines to deal with the possibility of bird flu being transmitted to humans. On Wednesday, a new study showed that an experimental mRNA vaccine was successful in preventing bird flu virus infection in domestic minks.
The current outbreak of avian influenza (H5N1) in the United States was first reported in dairy cattle in March. In the United States, one case involving a child in California was reported last month. One of the issues that has caused concern to the authorities is that raw milk may play an important role in the transmission of this disease.
Under a new order from the USDA, milk farms and milk transporters must provide raw milk samples to authorities upon request. Also, if the samples test positive for bird flu, it should be reported to the authorities.
