<
https://theconversation.com/a-high-risk-bird-flu-strain-is-circling-the-globe-how-prepared-is-nz-278541>
"Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 – particularly the 2.3.4.4b
lineage – has transformed the global disease landscape over recent years.
What was once largely a poultry disease causing occasional severe illness in
humans is now a multi-species threat, affecting wild birds, mammals and
increasingly, entire ecosystems.
Despite more than five years without incursion, H5N1 2.3.4.4b is edging closer
to New Zealand, raising questions about how long our isolation will hold.
Importantly, spillover events – when a virus jumps between species – have
become more common, with large outbreaks reported among poultry and dairy
cattle in North America.
Human infections remain rare and are mostly linked to close contact with
infected animals. But every spillover event gives the virus another chance to
evolve, even without sustained human-to-human transmission."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
