One of the world’s largest outbreaks of bird flu is spilling over into mammals. The 1918 Spanish Flu was likely a bird virus that spilled over to humans. It’s been going on for a while but they fear is new.
Scientists are worried about this flu spilling over to humans.
That’s a major shift, after only sporadic cases among humans and other mammals over the last decade, according to Michelle Wille, a researcher at the University of Sydney who focuses on the dynamics of wild bird viruses.
“This outbreak signals the very real potential for the emergence of mammal-to-mammal transmission,” she said.
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But the concern now, said Toronto-based infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch, is if this virus mutates in a way that allows it to become increasingly transmissible between mammals, including humans, “it could have deadly consequences.”
“This is an infection that has epidemic and pandemic potential,” he said. “I don’t know if people recognize how big a deal this is.”
Among birds, the mortality rate of this strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza can be close to 100 percent.
MSN:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said the avian influenza A virus has been detected in mammals such as skunks, bears, a raccoon, and red foxes.
Though most cases were detected in Oregon, positive tests in mammals were confirmed in the following states, according to the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services:
- Alaska
- Colorado
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Montana
- Nebraska
- New York
- Washington
Meanwhile, the Animal and Plant Health Agency found positive cases in otters and foxes in the United Kingdom. The agency also said a cat tested positive in France, and the highly contagious pathogen caused a large outbreak in a Spanish mink farm.
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