The deadly H5N1 bird flu virus has spread more aggressively than ever before in wild birds and marine mammals since arriving in South America in 2022, raising the risk of it evolving into a bigger threat to humans, according to interviews with eight scientists. Of more immediate concern is evidence the disease, once largely confined … Read more
I am a conservation biologist who studies emerging infectious diseases. When people ask me what I think the next pandemic will be I often say that we are in the midst of one – it’s just afflicting a great many species more than ours. I am referring to the highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza … Read more
France raised the risk level of bird flu to ‘high’ from ‘moderate’ on Tuesday after the detection of new cases of the disease, forcing poultry farms to keep birds indoors to stem the spread of the highly contagious virus. The decision, taken by the agriculture ministry, was published in the Official Journal on Tuesday. Avian … Read more
The World Health Organisation expressed concern about bird flu on February 24 after the father of an 11-year-old Cambodian girl who died from the disease also tested positive, raising fears of human-to-human transmission. Since late 2021, one of the worst global avian influenza outbreaks on record has seen tens of millions of poultry culled, mass … Read more
March 23, 2022 A commercial chicken farm in Nebraska will destroy 570,000 broilers because a case of highly pathogenic avian influenza – better known as bird flu – was discovered in the flock, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture reported. Earlier this month, bird flu was discovered in a backyard flock in Merrick County and in … Read more
Last year too, the district reported the influenza outbreak but was contained for being localized in nature. (PTI Image) A total of 12,000 ducks were culled in ward number 10 of the Thakazhi gram panchayat in Kerala’s Alappuzha district after the state reported bird flu cases on Thursday. The culled birds were buried safely within … Read more
Fever, cough, body ache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea are some of the most prominent symptoms of the disease. Severe respiratory problems can also arise in severe cases of the disease. An 11-year old boy became the first casualty of H5N1 avian influenza in the national capital on Wednesday sparking fear among people. While the avian influenza … Read more
Countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Pakistan have developed vaccines for these certain strains. As the number of bird flu cases in poultry have risen substantially in India this month, some experts are of view that India should legalise vaccination against avian influenza (commonly known as bird flu). Right now, India practises the guidelines … Read more
The H5N8 strain of avian influenza that has been detected in most of the states has not affected humans so far. Two different kinds of avian influenza strain have been found in Himachal Pradesh i.e. the H5N1 virus detected in migratory birds visiting the Pong Dam Lake and another H5N8 subtype in the dead poultry … Read more
Chandigarh: Punjab has reported its first case of avian influenza with samples taken from a dead bar-headed goose testing positive for the flu’s H5N1 strain, forest and wildlife preservation department officials said on Wednesday. The goose was found dead near the Siswan Dam reservoir in Mohali and its samples were sent to the Northern Regional … Read more