Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association’s Post

If this H5N1 virus is so easily spread then extra disinfection of milking areas and equipment, using face masks etc.. will not be effective. If it spreads from cows to humans then it is probably not highly pathogenic anyway, since only three people had mild symptoms. If it becomes highly pathogenic then it will soon not be, due to natural selection/evolution and pasteurisation seems to be effective ... that's how we deal with most milk pathogens.

Emerging zoonotic mosquito-borne viruses pose increasing health threats because of the growing mosquito population, geographic expansions, and control challenges. There is an emphasis on the need for global preparedness to effectively mitigate the health, societal, and economic impacts of spillover by these viruses through proactive measures of prediction, surveillance, prevention, and treatment.

Something as old and apparently proven as what we have called "airborne transmission" is now being questioned and redefined after a long and detailed work by a large number of experts convened by the WHO. Apart from the droplets that go from mouth and nose of an infected person´s into the mouth and nose of another person, the new evidence found after the COVID-19 pandemic led the experts to recommend the following: "The WHO concluded that airborne transmission occurs as sick people exhale pathogens that remain suspended in the air, contained in tiny particles of saliva and mucus that are inhaled by others." This finding explains how the SARS-CoV-2 virus spread and infected millions of people in a short period of time and was so difficult to contain. Now we need to reassess how we can prevent the spread of these infections.

🐔 According to the latest reports, highly pathogenic #AvianInfluenza (#HPAI) viruses, including subtypes such as H5Nx and H7Nx, which have the potential to infect humans, have emerged in various parts of the world. Since October 2023, a total of 279 outbreaks or events caused by these viruses have been reported globally, affecting multiple geographical regions. Among them, the #H5N1 virus has caused 255 outbreaks, primarily impacting poultry and wild birds. To date, two human infection cases have been reported in the U.S., but no human-to-human transmission has been detected. 🐦 🐮 Overall, while the #PublicHealth risk of avian influenza is currently considered low, due to the variability of the virus and its potential for cross-species transmission, health organizations worldwide are closely monitoring the development of outbreaks and taking appropriate monitoring and response measures. 🐄 #BirdFlu #AIVH5 #AIVtesting #RapidTest #Medical #healthy #WorldHealth #medicaltreatment #IVD

This study presents some interesting data that shows bovine H5N1 is able to bind sialic acids in the upper airway of mammals. More data needs to be collected, but this may show that the virus is indeed adapting to the upper respiratory tract of mammals over time. “… bovine HPAI H5N1 virus bound to sialic acids expressed in human upper airways and inefficiently transmitted to exposed ferrets (one of four exposed ferrets seroconverted without virus detection). Bovine HPAI H5N1 virus thus possesses features that may facilitate infection and transmission in mammals.”

I was cleaning up some files on my personal computer when I found one of the nicest microscopy images I have ever generated in the lab while working with mosquito-borne viruses. Here in "A" you see a cryosection of a female Aedes aegypti mosquito highlighting in red, through fluorescence microscopy, its virus-infected gut cells, known to be the primary site of infection for a virus once it enters the body of the insect. Insert A shows infection at 7 days post-ingestion of an infectious blood meal containing the Chikungunya virus. insert B, imaged at 14 days post-ingestion of the same virus-infected bloodmeal, shows the thorax of a female mosquito highlighting in red the virus-infected salivary gland cells, known to be the last site of infection for this and many other mosquito-borne viruses before transmission to humans through a simple, itchy and efficacious bite!

WHO releases a strategic framework for enhancing prevention and control of mpox Mpox continues to affect people around the world. A new framework released today by WHO will guide health authorities, communities and other stakeholders in preventing and controlling mpox outbreaks, eliminating human-to-human transmission of the disease, and reducing spillover of the virus from animals to humans. Mpox is a viral illness caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV). It can cause a painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes and fever. Most people fully recover, but some get very sick. The virus transmits from person to person through close, including sexual, contact. It also has animal reservoirs in east, central and west Africa, where spillovers from animals to humans can occasionally occur, sparking further outbreaks. https://lnkd.in/gPCqAviU

Urgent Need for Timely Data Submission to Combat H5N1 Spread H5N1 is no longer just an avian issue. The virus has now spread to dairy cattle in nine states in USA, affecting 69 herds. The three known human cases of H5N1 involve farmworkers who had direct contact with infected cows or their milk, marking a critical turning point in the bird flu scenario. The virus is evolving in ways that increase its threat to humans, making close monitoring essential to prevent its spread. The availability of H5N1 sequences is crucial for this task, but the slow submission of sequences to GISAID is hindering efforts. Despite the alarming spread of H5N1 in the USA and worldwide, only one virus was deposited to GISAID in May 2024. It is reasonable to expect that many viruses have been isolated and sequenced this month, and the decision to delay submitting this data, which slows down the virus analysis, is unacceptable. Prompt and transparent data sharing is vital to our ability to track and control this virus effectively.

At this time, CDC considers the human health risk to the U.S. public from HPAI A(H5N1) viruses to be low; however, people with close or prolonged, unprotected exposures to infected birds or other animals, or to environments contaminated by infected birds or other animals, are at greater risk of infection. CDC considers HPAI A(H5N1) viruses to have the potential to cause severe disease in infected humans.

Our paper on the presence of enteric viruses in beach sand is now out. A step forward into understanding the role that beach sand, not impacted by point source pollution, has on the transmission of viral infections. #beachsand #entericviruses #SARS-CoV-2 #aichivirus #adenovirus https://lnkd.in/dE5vRmuk