Health
The United States is facing the worst bird flu epidemic in history. Could poultry vaccines be the answer?
WASHINGTON — The deadliest bird flu outbreak in U.S. history has raised concerns in Congress, with USDA researchers awaiting preliminary results from four trials of a poultry vaccine.
Some lawmakers favor the idea of a vaccination campaign, long considered a fringe idea because of its cost and potential impact. Industry groups warn that vaccinated poultry will not be accepted in many foreign markets, jeopardizing exports.
Bird flu poses little health risk to humans, but it is contributing to soaring egg prices and the destruction of poultry flocks in the United States. Among the damaged poultry Chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quail, ducks and geese are raised in both large commercial operations and the growing popularity of backyard flocks.
Since the current strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) began to spread in Japan in February 2022, farmers across the country have lost farms or been forced to slaughter. Over 58 million poultry.
USDA estimates it has already spent Over $670 million Insurance coverage and hygiene services to combat the ongoing bird flu epidemic.
And while many wild birds begin their spring migration, 140,000 poultry In April, infected people appeared nationwide.
Food prices are stabilizing, but lawmakers from both parties are asking how the U.S. can do better at controlling bird flu.
Rep. Jim Costa, a California Democrat, told a House Agriculture Committee hearing on April 18, “How highly pathogenic bird flu has devastated domestic poultry populations and depopulation was inevitable. We have seen with our own eyes,” he said.
“We need to continue to refine and improve our approach to addressing animal diseases, and the USDA needs all the tools to ensure a robust response.”
USDA is testing two proprietary vaccines developed through the Agricultural Research Service and an avian flu vaccine from pharmaceutical companies Merck Animal Health and Zoetis.
But animal health experts say bird flu vaccines aren’t the quick fix some believe.
Jenny Lester Moffitt, Undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said at a press conference on April 24 that a viable vaccine would take at least 18 to 24 months to produce, but would be effective against infectious diseases. said it was not guaranteed.
“Vaccines are not the silver bullet” for ending the epidemic, Yuko Sato, a poultry veterinarian and associate professor at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, said at a media event on April 26.
“If there are birds that test positive even after being vaccinated, we need to see if the virus can be eradicated,” Sato said. “Otherwise, we would never think of eradicating the virus from the United States.”
Here are answers to frequently asked questions about the ongoing avian flu outbreak and potential vaccines.
What is highly pathogenic avian influenza?
highly pathogenic avian influenza, Viruses, commonly known as HPAI, avian influenza, or “highpass,” are lethal respiratory viruses that affect wild and domestic birds.
This epidemic is derived from the influenza A family and is characterized by H5 or H7 category hemagglutinin (spike protein) structures on its surface, which it uses to infect cells. The virus is spread through airborne transmission or exposure to byproducts such as saliva, mucus, and faeces of infected birds.
Affected poultry and other domesticated birds often show lack of energy, lay soft shells or deformed eggs, and have swollen heads.
A highly pathogenic version of the disease was first identified in China in 1996 and has mutated several times over the past 30 years by exchanging genetic material with low pathogenic avian influenza strains in wild birds.
David Swain, former director of the Agricultural Research Service’s Southeastern Poultry Laboratory in Athens, Georgia, said in a media briefing on April 26 that 87% of bird flu strains consist of mixed genetic material from other strains. said. He said this natural mutation process could make vaccines less effective against the virus over the years.
Wild migratory birds are the main vectors of transmission in the current epidemic, accounting for approximately 85% of the disease’s spread. According to USDA. These animals, such as terns, ducks and geese, can become infected and transmit the disease without showing any obvious physical symptoms.
However, HPAI infections spread rapidly in poultry flocks, with 90% to 100% mortality in chickens and turkeys, often within 48 hours. Animal and plant health inspection services.
If a farmer finds the disease in a commercial flock, the only option recommended by the USDA is to kill any remaining birds, dispose of the carcasses, and decontaminate the facility to reduce the spread.
Who is infected? Should I worry?
Despite the threat H5N1 poses to poultry, experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say people shouldn’t worry about getting sick.
The agency reported that 11 outbreaks of bird flu Human-to-human transmission has been reported since 2021, with only one “mild” case occurring in the United States. And as of 2023, no human-to-human transmission of HPAI has been reported.World Health Organization.
Speaking at a media event, Swain said only 875 human cases of H5 bird flu had been reported since 1996, with about 40% of them dying. He pointed out that these infections occurred mainly among humans who handled poultry and were not caused by encounters with wild birds.
USDA documented 176 mammals in the U.S. infected with the disease From 2022 onwards, this includes skunks, foxes, seals, mountain lions, and more.U.S. Geological Survey Wildlife Experts Announce April study It turns out that much of the transmission of the disease can be traced to predation by wild birds.
Still, both Swain and Hill pointed to recent events. 3,500 sea lions infected with virus in Peru as worthwhile monitoring for mutations that may affect mammals.
How does the current bird flu outbreak compare to past bird flu outbreaks?
The currently occurring highly pathogenic avian influenza virus is first discovered in the country Wild Birds in Coleton County, South Carolina on January 13, 2022. On February 8, 2022, the first livestock case of the disease was discovered on a turkey farm in DuBois County, Indiana.
Since then, the disease has spread to 47 states, affecting more than 833 commercial and backyard poultry flocks.
Still, this isn’t the first outbreak of HPAI that the federal government has responded to. And despite these numbers, many animal health experts say current USDA efforts represent a significant improvement over previous disease outbreaks.
Mr. Sato remembered this. 2015 HPAI outbreak, Previously considered the worst outbreak in history, the Midwest poultry industry required culling of 50.4 million birds.
She said 70% of new infections from this outbreak were from workers in 21 states, including Arkansas, Iowa, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana and Nebraska, farm-to-farm. He added that it was a lateral infection of , New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, Wisconsin.
In contrast to that pandemic, now “we are doing a very good job with biosecurity,” Sato said. Biosecurity refers to preventive measures that producers can take to limit the spread of disease, such as disinfecting agricultural machinery and providing clean clothing and protective equipment for farm workers.
Sato said that the lateral spread of bird flu has already declined as producers have embraced these practices. From 70% of reported cases in 2015 to about 16% of reported cases in 2023.
Moffitt added that virus control costs are expected to be less than 50% of the $1.6 billion spent in 2015.
But animal disease experts warn that the United States is dealing with a more widely distributed individual disease than the 2015 HPAI outbreak.
Nicola Hill Assistant Professor of Biology At a media event on April 26, the University of Massachusetts announced that researchers have detected the virus in 150 of the nearly 1,000 species of wild birds found in the United States, affecting the disease. Over 6,000 wild birds.
Greg Tyler, chairman and CEO of the U.S. Poultry Egg Export Council, said this version of the disease is making its way into homes as well. All four major migratory bird flyways for the birds of america
Sato said more backyard poultry flocks were affected by the spread of bird flu from migratory flocks, as opposed to the 21 backyard flocks affected in 2015, with more backyard poultry flocks affected, and smaller flocks. A total of 507 birds were said to be affected.
It also raises new concerns among experts that the deadly disease could become endemic in North America without significant public-private cooperation to curb the spread. April study By researchers at the University of Maryland.
“Federal agencies, state agencies, the agricultural sector, wildlife management, we’re all going to have to work together to address this issue,” said Jennifer Marinax, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. It’s the body,” he said. environmental science and technology, on release.
What about vaccines?
Some animal health experts say developing vaccines against current avian flu strains could be a valuable tool, but trade experts say a national vaccination strategy won’t materialize anytime soon. , or warns that it won’t happen without trade-offs with national security. $6 billion poultry export industry.
Sato said a national vaccination strategy for the roughly 10 billion commercial birds in the United States would take time and could cost billions of dollars in taxpayers.
Tom Super, senior vice president of public affairs for the National Poultry Council, said: His organization does not currently support the use of vaccines against HPAI. Most countries do not accept exports From countries that vaccinate against the virus.
These non-tariff trade barriers are intended to protect other countries’ unvaccinated poultry flocks from vaccinated birds that still carry disease. Super added that if the U.S. vaccinated domestic birds, the broiler industry would be cut off from exports, costing the U.S. economy billions of dollars each year.
Tyler added that his group found that 200,000 agricultural jobs could be lost if the vaccination campaign were carried out without trade policy adjustments.
Moffitt said negotiations between the USDA and foreign partners are still ongoing to maintain international poultry export markets for certain states as outbreaks are seen in other parts of the country.
Tyler said the Department of Agriculture’s Office of Animal and Plant Health Inspections and the Foreign Agriculture Service have made significant progress since 2015 in developing regionalization agreements with foreign governments.
He noted that despite ongoing challenges by the HPAI and poultry export bans by certain countries such as China, the U.S. poultry industry has controlled approximately $11.7 billion in exports over the past two years.
Both Super and Tyler advocated continued funding for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, which provides rapid response to farms.
Moffitt said interstate surveillance and protect the herd Program at the hearing on April 18th. Moffitt said the 10-fold reduction in commercial herd infections in March 2023 compared to March 2022 is evidence that the USDA’s current strategy of rapid testing and reporting is working. Quoted.
“We know how to react quickly to get growers back to food production, how important biosecurity is and how to keep markets open,” she said. “We know what to do and we are ready.”
Sources 2/ https://minnesotareformer.com/2023/05/12/the-u-s-is-undergoing-its-worst-bird-flu-outbreak-ever-is-a-poultry-vaccine-the-answer/ The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article |
What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos
to request, modification Contact us at Here or [email protected]