Vidya Sethuraman
India Post News Service
H5 bird flu is widespread in wild birds worldwide and is causing outbreaks in poultry and U.S. dairy cows with two cases of H5 in U.S. dairy workers. A new Covid variant – known as FLiRT – is also emerging, even as millions of Americans declare they are done with Covid vaccine updates. The FLiRT variants, KP.2 and KP.1.1, are part of the Omicron family. Specifically, they are descendants of JN.1.11.1, a by-product of JN.1—the most common variant until these new ones popped up, per Prevention. Experts predict a summer surge of Covid, as the more contagious variant takes hold. Panelists this week at the EMS briefing discussed both highly transmissible diseases.
Dr. Maurice Pitesky, Associate Professor, with a research focus on highly pathogenic avian influenza disease modeling, UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine stated by way of background that the main source of avian influenza is waterfowl such as ducks and geese, which are migratory due to nature and can travel literally thousands of miles. The interactions among different flyways in the Arctic breeding grounds allow for unique virus reassortment. These reasserted viruses can then be brought back to regions like California through migratory patterns, leading to new outbreaks. Dr. Pitesky highlighted several transmission routes, including fecal shedding by infected birds, aerosol transmission, and even the involvement of other species like feral cats. Shared equipment and man-made water habitats near dairies and poultry farms also contribute to the virus’s spread.
Dr. Peter Chin Hong, Professor of Medicine and Director of the immunocompromised host infectious diseases program, UCSF has shed light on this concerning development, emphasizing the complexities and potential underreporting of human cases related to this outbreak. Currently, two cases have been confirmed in humans; and there are anecdotal reports of many dairy workers who have gone to community doctors but have not been tested. If it continues to evolve, it can cause more serious diseases, as in the cases of the last 20 to 30 years around the world. So it’s a question of when it will happen, simply because we are seeing it in crawling species, from wild birds to mammals, chickens, cattle; and even dogs and cats can become infected
Dr. Benjamin Neuman, Professor of Biology, Texas A&M University said FLiRT is a nickname for an old thing that comes from two particular mutations of the Covid-19 strain. These are adaptive mutations that have appeared in several different lines. And that’s why they seem to be recurring and give the virus a little boost. He noted that there is some possibility of the infection spreading, but vaccination increases protective immunity. On the other hand, he indicated that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seems to have chosen the route of having an annual vaccine for Covid, as is the case with the influenza vaccine.
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