News Analysis India

Tag: Bird Flu

  • ‘100 Times Worse Than Covid’: Scientists Warn Of Lethal Bird Flu Pandemic | world news

    NEW YORK: In a concerning development reported by the New York Post, experts have issued warnings about a potential bird flu pandemic, which they claim could be “100 times worse than COVID.” The discovery of a rare human case in Texas has raised alarms among scientists and health officials. The H5N1 avian flu, which emerged as a new strain in 2020, has spread rapidly, affecting wild birds across all states, as well as commercial poultry and backyard flocks. Recent cases in mammals, including infected cattle herds across four states, have escalated concerns.

    At a panel discussing the issue, Suresh Kuchipudi, a prominent bird flu researcher, emphasized the long-standing threat posed by the H5N1 virus. He highlighted its ability to infect various mammalian hosts, including humans, making it a global pandemic threat. John Fulton, a pharmaceutical industry consultant, echoed these concerns, suggesting that the potential impact of the virus could surpass that of COVID if it mutates while maintaining a high fatality rate. “This appears to be 100 times worse than COVID — or it could be if it mutates and maintains its high case fatality rate,” John Fulton, a pharmaceutical industry consultant for vaccines and the founder of Canada-based BioNiagara who organized the meeting, was cited as saying.

    With a fatality rate of around 52% among humans infected since 2003, according to the World Health Organization, H5N1 presents a significant health risk. Symptoms are similar to other flu strains but can lead to severe pneumonia, with some cases resulting in death.

    Recent Case In Texas

    A dairy worker in Texas who contracted the virus reported symptoms consistent with conjunctivitis. While the CDC assured the public of low risk, the situation is being closely monitored due to the unprecedented detection of the virus in cattle.

    Potential For Mutation And Rapid Spread

    The detection of the virus in cattle raises concerns about mutation and potential human transmission. Experts warn that if H5N1 mutates to spread efficiently among humans, it could lead to large-scale transmission due to the lack of immune defenses.

    Preventive Measures And Vaccine Development

    Efforts are underway to develop vaccines and preventive measures against the virus. The US is already testing vaccine components, and candidate vaccine viruses show promise in protecting against H5N1. Both the CDC and the White House have emphasized the seriousness of the situation, with ongoing monitoring and efforts to keep the public informed and safe. As the world grapples with the evolving threat of the H5N1 avian flu, vigilance and coordinated global efforts remain crucial to prevent a potential pandemic.

  • Bird flu detected in Maharashtra’s Thane after poultry deaths

    By PTI

    THANE: Bird flu cases have been detected in Thane district of Maharashtra following the death of around 100 birds at a poultry farm in Shahapur recently, an official said on Thursday.

    “Around 100 birds died at the poultry farm in Vehloli village in Shahapur tehsil recently. Their samples were sent to a Pune-based laboratory for testing and the results confirmed that they died due to H5N1 avian influenza,” Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Thane Zilla Parishad, Dr Bhausaheb Dangde, said.

    After this, around 25,000 birds being reared at the poultry farms in the one-km area of the affected farm will be culled in the next couple of days, he said.

    The animal husbandry department of the district will undertake measures to prevent the spread of the infection in other birds, Dangde said.

    The Union Ministry of Fisheries and Animal Husbandry has been informed about the detection of bird flu cases here, he added.

  • No need to panic, say experts as India confirms the first bird flu death in humans

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: The first confirmed case of bird flu death in a human has been recorded in India but top virologists said that there is no need to panic as the human-to-human transmission of this flu is extremely unlikely.

    An 11-year-old boy from Gurugram, Haryana had died of the disease 10 days back, prompting the Centre to launch an epidemiological investigation in the case. Diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia- a type of blood cancer- in June, the child had developed symptoms of fever, cough and breathing difficulty, soon after induction therapy for cancer. 

    He was admitted to AIIMS, Delhi on July 2 and died 10 days later of multi-organ failure. It was after his death that the National Institute of Virology under the ICMR confirmed that he was suffering from bird flu, after which the National Centre for Disease Control which runs the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme started the contact tracing.

    The Union Health Ministry, on Wednesday, said that the team of doctors and nurses who had treated the child were being monitored since July 16 for the development of any influenza-like illness but no one has reported symptoms to date. Also, a 10 km area where the boy lived has been put under surveillance.

    ALSO READ | Bird flu: Probe launched into death of Gurugram boy, close contacts under surveillance

    Virus experts meanwhile pointed out that this is just one isolated case, possibly a very close contact with birds, possibly chicken or ducks.

    “Bird flu does not spread well at all from human to human. And there is a biological reason for it,” said senior virologist Shahid Jameel who is also a director with the Trivedi School of Biosciences at the Ashoka University.

    “So, I am not worried based on one case but let’s keep an eye out for more cases.”

    Clinical scientist Gagandeep Kang said that while the particular cases have triggered some concern, it will be important to track and need to investigate where and how and if there are additional cases.

    “But in general, bird flu does not spread from human to human without prolonged contact,” she said.

    According to the World Health Organisation, almost all cases of H5N1 infection or bird flu in people have been associated with close contact with infected live or dead birds, or H5N1-contaminated environments.

    Currently available epidemiologic information suggests the virus does not infect humans easily, and spread from person to person appears to be very rare.

    However, when people do become infected, the mortality rate is very high at about 60%.

  • Bird flu: Probe launched into death of Gurugram boy, close contacts under surveillance

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: The Union Health Ministry on Wednesday announced that an epidemiological investigation has been launched into the death of a 11-year-old boy, the first confirmed fatality due to bird flu in India and said that his close contacts have been put under surveillance.  

    The child from Gurugram, Haryana, had been diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in June and developed symptoms of fever, cough and breathing difficulty, soon after an induction therapy for cancer. He was admitted to AIIMS-Delhi on July 2 and passed away ten days later due to multiple organ dysfunction.  

    Apart from AML, the boy was presented with febrile neutropenia (fever with low neutrophils) with pneumonia and shock, which progressed to acute respiratory distress syndrome. The health ministry, in a statement said that upon testing it was found that the child had both Influenza A and Influenza B but was negative for SARS COV-2 and other respiratory viruses.

    As the subtyping for Influenza A remained inconclusive with available reagents for H1N1 and H3N2 at AIIMS, the samples collected from the child were sent to the National Institute of Virology under the ICMR on July 13.

    ALSO READ| Human-to-human transmission of bird flu rare, no need to panic: AIIMS chief

    At NIV, both the samples were tested for Influenza A and Influenza B along with Influenza A seasonal (H1N1, H1N1 pdm09 and H3N2), non-seasonal avian subtypes (H5, H7, H9 and H10) by real time PCR. The result showed that the sample is positive for A/H5- a type of bird flu- and type B Victoria lineage. The whole genome sequencing and virus isolation is in process.

    Following the results, the National Centre for Disease Control which runs the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, has activated its Haryana state unit to initiate an epidemiological investigation into the case and the matter was also reported to the animal husbandry department.

    The government said that based on the available information, the team of doctors and nurses treating the patient are being monitored since July 16 for development of any influenza-like illness but no one has reported symptoms till date. “Contact tracing was undertaken and family members, close contacts and health care workers are under close surveillance,” said the ministry adding that none of the close contacts have any symptoms.

    Contact tracing, an active search for any symptomatic case has been carried out in the hospital and area where the case resided. The Centre also said that there are no symptomatic individuals in the area at present.

    Also, said the government, animal husbandry department has not found any suspected cases of bird flu in the area and has enhanced surveillance in a 10 km zone as a precautionary measure. “Further, epidemiological investigation by NCDC, involving animal husbandry department and State government surveillance unit, is underway and appropriate public health measures have been instituted,” said the ministry.

  • Bird flu detected at poultry farm in Punjab’s Ludhiana

    By PTI
    LUDHIANA: Samples from a poultry farm here tested positive for bird flu, prompting the district authorities to form a committee for a culling exercise and containment operations.

    The National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Bhopal, on Friday confirmed bird flu in a poultry farm at Qila Raipur, about 25 km from here.

    Deputy Commissioner Varinder Sharma said the Punjab government has notified the poultry farm as an infected area.

    Additional Deputy Commissioner Sarkartar Singh has been made the incharge of the committee formed to oversee the culling exercise.

    Sharma said the committee will ensure that no live or dead bird, unprocessed poultry meat, eggs, feeds or any other material taken out and brought into the poultry farm.

  • Sale of chicken banned in UP’s Badaun after bird flu detected in sample

    By PTI
    BADAUN: A sample from a chicken shop in Bilsi tehsil here tested positive for bird flu following which the sale of chicken has been banned in a 10-kilometre radius, officials said on Monday.

    Samples are also being collected from chicken shops and poultry farms in a kilometer radius for testing, Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Bilsi Rahdey Shyam Bahadur Singh said.

    “Sampling by the veterinary department was done in a chicken shop in Shadab on February 4, along with other shops. The samples were sent to IVRI, Bareilly. Subsequently, one tested positive for bird flu,” he said.

    “Sanitisation of chicken shops and poultry farms is being done in a 10-km radius and the sale of chicken has been stopped with immediate effect, he said.

    A report in this regard has been sent to the Centre.

    Nearly a dozen states have reported cases of avian influenza since December.

    Early this month, Minister of State for Health Ashwini Choubey told Lok Sabha there are no laboratory-confirmed human cases of avian influenza reported in the country.

    Choubey said the strains detected so far in the birds are H5N1 and H5N8.

  • Gujarat’s Tapi district bans poultry products from Navapur in Maharashtra

    By PTI
    TAPI: Gujarat’s Tapi district has banned transportation of poultry products from Navapur taluka of Nandurbar in Maharashtra for two months as a precaution following cases of avian influenza in parts of the district in the neighbouring state, officials said an Tuesday.

    The Navapur taluka of Nandurbar, where bird flu cases had been reported, shares its border with Uchchhal taluka of Tapi in Gujarat.

    Tapi Collector R J Halani issued a notification on Monday evening, banning the transportation of eggs, chicken and poultry farm products to and from the border adjoining Navapur for two months.

    The revenue area within 10-km radius of the affected poultry farms in Navapur has been declared as a surveillance zone, Tapi district veterinaryofficer Pankaj Fuletra said.

    Recently, tests of samples of dead chicken from four poultry farms in Navapur taluka of Nandurbar came out positive for the avian influenza virus, the notification said.

    “There is a possibility of spread of the avian influenza to other birds,” said the collector’s notification, while banning the movement of poultry products to and from the surveillance zone along the stateborder.

  • Maharashtra bird flu scare: 119 birds found dead, samples sent for tests

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Amid the avian influenza scare, Maharashtra Animal Husbandry department officials on Saturday said 119 birds have been found dead across the state, taking the total number of such deaths since January 8 to 19,558.

    The 119 deaths, including of 59 poultry birds, were reported on Friday and samples have been sent for influenza tests to National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal and Pune’s Disease Investigation Section, they said.

    As per outbreak protocols, poultry birds, feed, eggs, droppings etc are being destroyed scientifically in a one- kilometre radius from infected zones, the officials added.

    So far, 71,883 poultry birds, 44,146 eggs and 63,339 kilograms of poultry feed have been destroyed, they informed.

  • Only 0.5% of Punjab’s poultry farms infected from bird flu: Minister

    He expressed hope that the state would soon be completely free from bird flu with efforts being taken by the state government and poultry farmers.

  • Bird flu confirmed in few more cities of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Centre on Wednesday said bird flu has been confirmed in poultry birds in few more places in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh.

    So far, the outbreak of bird flu or avian influenza in poultry birds has been confirmed in nine states — Kerala, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab.

    The disease in other birds such as crows, migratory and wild birds has been confirmed in 12 states.

    ​ALSO READ | Bird flu kills 90 more birds including 12 peacocks in Rajasthan

    In a statement, the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying said that bird flu has been confirmed in poultry samples from Nanded, Solapur, Pune, Ahmednagar, Buldhana, Akola, Nashik and Hingoli districts of Maharashtra as well as in Bhavnagar district of Gujarat and Dhamtari district of Chhattisgarh.

    Further, the viral disease has been confirmed in crows in Rudraprayag Forest Division (Uttarakhand), in Titar in Junagad(Gujarat) and in peacocks in Beed (Maharashtra).

    The ministry said control and containment operations are going on in the affected epicentres of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.

    ALSO READ | Bird flu confirmed in 12 Indian states for crow, migratory and wild birds: Centre

    Surveillance work is continuing at the places where positive results have been reported in other species of birds, excluding poultry, it added.

    On compensation to poultry farmers, the ministry said the Maharashtra government has sanctioned a compensation package of Rs 1.3 crore for culling of poultry and other birds, eggs and poultry feed and operational cost of disease control within 1 kilometre radius of the infected area, under the Bird Flu Disease Control Program.

    The compensation is paid to those farmers whose poultry birds, eggs and poultry feed are culled/ disposed of by the state as per the action plan.

    The Centre provides funds to states on a 50:50 sharing basis under a central government scheme.

    The ministry said it is taking continuous efforts to generate awareness about the disease through various platforms, including Twitter and Facebook.