Epidemic at mink farm shows bird flu can spread among mammals

Avian influenza outbreaks on mink farms in Spain provide the strongest evidence so far that H5N1 strains of influenza can spread from one infected mammal to another.

H5N1 influenza outbreak described in the report of euro monitoring January 19th¹occurred in American minks (Neovison VisionGenetic sequencing performed on Caral’s farm in October 2022 showed that the animals were infected with a new variant of H5N1. It contains genetic material from strains found in seagulls and genetic alterations known to enhance the ability of some animal flu. A virus that reproduces in mammals.

Wendy Pearer, a virologist at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, says the new variant will put bird flu in “uncharted territory.” Researchers warn that the disease could eventually spread among people if careful precautions are not taken.

jumping species

Over the past year, H5N1 has been shown to have an increased ability to jump from birds to mammals. About a dozen animal species have been identified in the United States, including raccoons, foxes, seals, and grizzly bears.

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Hualan Chen, a virologist at the Harbin Veterinary Research Institute in China, said that until this particular outbreak, all mammalian infections could result from direct contact with virus-contaminated material. increase. For example, animals that have ingested wild bird droppings or preyed on infected animals can develop the disease. But the spread among mammals “means that this H5N1 virus of his could pose a higher risk to public health,” Chen said.

In the first week of October 2022, workers at the affected mink farms noticed an increase in mink mortality from a baseline of 0.25% to 0.77% per week, with H5N1 and SARS-CoV-2 prompted testing of affected animals. virus. Animals he was H5N1 positive. Over the next few weeks, more animals became ill and the disease appeared to spread from 2-4 enclosure ‘hot spots’ where all the animals became infected and died. A worker was forced to slaughter all of his 51,986 minks on the farm. Eleven farm workers had contact with an infected mink, all of whom tested negative for H5N1.

“This species may serve as a potential mixing vessel for interspecies transmission between birds, mammals and humans,” the report’s authors wrote. “There is a need to strengthen a culture of biosafety and biosecurity in this agricultural system and facilitate the implementation of ad hoc surveillance programs against influenza A virus and other zoonotic pathogens.”

Spread prevention

William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, said the steps taken to prevent the new strain from spreading outside the farm were “vigorous, comprehensive and successful. “looks like.

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But Puryear believes that because the new subspecies contains genetic material from seagull flu, it’s likely that at least some of its genetic changes occurred in the gulls before they entered mink farms. This means that lineages containing these mutations are probably still circulating in bird populations. If the new strain starts infecting people, health officials could probably create a vaccine quickly, and the antiviral drug Tamiflu could reduce the severity of the disease.

Potential risks to wildlife are greater. Avian influenza has consistently caused high levels of morbidity and mortality among wild birds and mammals over the past year. “We just don’t know,” he says Puryear.

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