Avian flu is now spreading from mammal to mammal: Humans still safe for the most part
by Karin L Nauber
Yes, it’s still around. No, it mostly does not affect—or infect—humans.
In fact, only 14 verified cases of Avian Flu have been found in human beings since April 2022.
So why the concern? Because not only does Avian Flu or Bird Flu still kill birds, it is now spreading more effectively from mammal-to-mammal which has some health officials on the offensive.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “H5 bird flu is widespread in wild birds worldwide and is causing outbreaks in poultry and U.S. dairy cows with several recent human cases in U.S. dairy and poultry workers.
“While the current public health risk is low, CDC is watching the situation carefully and working with states to monitor people with animal exposures.
“CDC is using its flu surveillance systems to monitor for H5 bird flu activity in people.”
According to an article on earth.com, written by Sanjana Gajbhive, “A remarkable revelation is brought to us courtesy of Diego Diel, an associate professor of virology, and director of the Virology Laboratory at the Animal Health Diagnostic Center in the College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University. The team found that the highly pathogenic avian flu can now efficiently spread among mammals.
The last time I checked, people were classified as mammals....
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