HPAI

Avian Influenza H5N1: From Poultry to Cattle, How Livestock is at Risk with Current US Outbreak

Posted on by Jordan Nutting

Updated June 24, 2024

In January 2022, the state of South Carolina reported a case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in a wild bird—the first detected case of this virus subtype in the United States since 2016, likely introduced from Canada late in 2021. Since then, the virus has spread across the U.S., affecting both coasts with multiple separate introductions. As of 2024, this outbreak continues to cause significant issues, and has even reached dairy cows in Texas, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, South Dakota, Idaho, North Carolina, and Ohio.

Continue reading “Avian Influenza H5N1: From Poultry to Cattle, How Livestock is at Risk with Current US Outbreak”

H7N9 Influenza Virus: A Perfect Pathogen?

Posted on by Kari Kenefick
Artist’s rendition of a virus particle.

It’s late October and here in Wisconsin, like many of you, we are experiencing a change of seasons, with the associated drop in temperatures, changes in leaf color and later this week, Halloween.

Another thing that comes with fall is the start of cold and flu season. By “flu”, I mean influenza, caused by avian influenza viruses of the H-N type. Recent research results by teams at UWI-Madison and in Japan, makes the coming influenza season potentially more scary than usual.

In a recent Cell Host & Microbe paper, M. Imai et al. study a seemingly more virulent version of H7N9 avian influenza virus that is startling in its ability to spread from infected to healthy animal models. Based on a current epidemic of H7N9, human-to-human transmission with this strain is increasing.

Continue reading “H7N9 Influenza Virus: A Perfect Pathogen?”