Just a matter of time.The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) has detected the first presumptive positive human case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), or H5N1, in Louisiana. The individual is a resident of southwestern Louisiana and is currently hospitalized.
LDH's Office of Public Health is coordinating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the epidemiologic investigation. The investigation identified that the individual had exposure to sick and dead birds that are suspected to have been infected with H5N1.
[Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
Moderators: EvilHomer3k, Bakhtosh
- Smoove_B
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
We are absolutely at the brink of another problem (emphasis added):
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- Isgrimnur
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
Just one mutation can make H5N1 bird flu a threat to humans, California researchers say
The scientists began their research by accessing a global influenza database and locating the genetic sequence for A/Texas/37/2024 — the strain of H5N1 bird flu found in a Texas dairy worker.
They then examined the hemagglutinin proteins, or spikes, on the outer surface of the virus, since those enable it to latch onto the cell membrane of its host. Animals such as birds and humans have different docking stations on their cells — known as sialic acid receptors. In order for a flu virus to open a door into a cell and begin replicating, it needs just the right spike, or key.
...
In order to figure out what it would take for the virus to gain the right docking equipment to unleash a human pandemic, Paulson, Wilson and their team looked at previous flu outbreaks that had jumped the bird-human divide, including the influenza outbreaks of 1918, 1957, 1968 and 2009 — as well as some earlier research.
They “selected a number of positions” on the hemagglutinin protein “to mutate, one at a time” with amino acids they knew had been implicated in previous pandemics.
Then they attempted to bind these altered “H” proteins with human and bird receptor analogues.
Lo and behold, when they switched a glutamine to a leucine at position 226, it no longer bound to the bird receptors, but instead exclusively to those of humans.
Paulson said it was especially interesting because this mutation had occurred before in earlier strains of H5N1, including one from around 2010 — but “at that time, that single mutation was not sufficient to change receptor specificity. So, the unexpected thing is that virus has changed in subtle ways — evolved, if you will — so that now that single mutation does change the receptor specificity.”
It's almost as if people are the problem.
- Smoove_B
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
For those keeping track (I know there's a lot going on), it was Malaria in the Congo:
Mosquitoes - still a killer.Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Democratic Republic of Congo's health ministry said on Tuesday that a previously unidentified disease circulating in the country's Panzi health zone is a severe form of malaria.
Earlier this month, local authorities said the disease had killed 143 people in the southwestern Kwango province in November.
"The mystery has finally been solved. It's a case of severe malaria in the form of a respiratory illness... and weakened by malnutrition," the health ministry said in a statement.
It also said that 592 cases had been reported since October with a fatality rate of 6.2%.
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- Isgrimnur
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
Dr. Thomas O’Brien, visionary who addressed dangers of antimicrobial resistance, dies at 95
With insight few possessed decades ago, Dr. Thomas F. O’Brien sounded the alarm about the increasing danger of antimicrobial resistance in a world growing ever more connected. Drug-resistant strains of bacteria, viruses, and germs could emerge in far-flung places and hitch a ride on an unwitting tourist, who then headed home and spread the infection thousands of miles away.
If perils like that weren’t daunting enough, the imprecise use of antibiotics in treatment could give rise to yet more deadly, drug-resistant superbugs. “An attempt to cure one patient may eventually prevent cure of another,” Dr. O’Brien wrote in 2001.
To address these threats, he helped pioneer the use of databases that let doctors respond quickly to outbreaks of antibiotic resistance. Traveling the world, often to small hospitals in developing nations, he cultivated a network of physicians, researchers, and technicians whose observations and testing became part of a larger effort.
It's almost as if people are the problem.
- Smoove_B
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
More information about the H5N1 case in Louisiana, and it's not good:
Either way, this newly detected D1.1 variant has now caused illness in humans severe enough that requires hospitalization. For those keeping track, two of the three elements are now in place for a pandemic. The first is spread from animal to human; the second is causes severe illness. The last (and arguably the most critical) is that it spreads easily from human to human. Thankfully that's not the case, but without monitoring more people (and birds) to get an idea of how widespread it is (beyond randomly showing up in Canada and the United States), we're just passing the time as nature rolls dice.
Happy Wednesday everyone!
So in short, the person here in Louisiana has the same variant of H5N1 as the hospitalized teenager in British Columbia, Canada. With no common contact, it suggests (to me) that this is moving through wild bird populations and spreading either directly to humans -or- through some type of intermediate host. They might be able to detect what animals (if any) with additional genomic sequencing - the same way they traced Sars-CoV-2 to the wet market (yeah, I fucking said it) in China.A patient has been hospitalized with a severe case of avian influenza A(H5N1) virus ("H5N1 bird flu") infection in Louisiana. This marks the first instance of severe illness linked to the virus in the United States. The case was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday, December 13. Since April 2024, there have been a total of 61 reported human cases of H5 bird flu reported in the United States.
Partial viral genome data of the H5N1 avian influenza virus that infected the patient in Louisiana indicates that the virus belongs to the D1.1 genotype related to other D1.1 viruses recently detected in wild birds and poultry in the United States and in recent human cases in British Columbia, Canada, and Washington state. This H5N1 bird flu genotype is different than the B3.13 genotype detected in dairy cows, sporadic human cases in multiple states, and some poultry outbreaks in the United States. Additional genomic sequencing and efforts to isolate virus from clinical specimens from the patient in Louisiana are underway at CDC.
Either way, this newly detected D1.1 variant has now caused illness in humans severe enough that requires hospitalization. For those keeping track, two of the three elements are now in place for a pandemic. The first is spread from animal to human; the second is causes severe illness. The last (and arguably the most critical) is that it spreads easily from human to human. Thankfully that's not the case, but without monitoring more people (and birds) to get an idea of how widespread it is (beyond randomly showing up in Canada and the United States), we're just passing the time as nature rolls dice.
Happy Wednesday everyone!
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- LordMortis
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
If no one reports it as such and there is no one to report to and track such things, there will be no evidence of wide spread human to human transmission. So we have nothing to worry about it.
- Smoove_B
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
If it doesn't spread easily from human to human, that's sort of what it will look like. Random people will be hospitalized with "severe flu-like symptoms" and perhaps a doctor will be motivated to try and figure out more as part of the treatment protocol. At that point, they discover it's H5N1 and (hopefully) additional follow up is done to sequence the variant. But how much of that happens and how quickly is indeed going to vary by state given out patchwork system.
I'm confident we're passively monitoring for it; I'm not confident resources have been provided nationally to aggressively proactively monitor.
I'm confident we're passively monitoring for it; I'm not confident resources have been provided nationally to aggressively proactively monitor.
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- Smoove_B
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
Do not use bat guano as fertilizer for plants, especially if you plan on smoking them:
The first man, who was 59-years-old, had purchased guano online to use as fertilizer for his cannabis plants. The other man, 64, was intending to fertilize his cannabis plants with guano he'd found in his attic following a "heavy" bat infestation.
The men developed an array of symptoms from their infections, including fever, chronic cough, extensive weight loss, blood poisoning and respiratory failure. Despite being hospitalized and treated with antifungal medication, both men died of their illnesses, according to a report of their cases, published Dec. 4 in the journal Open Forum Infectious Diseases.
The doctors who treated them said that their deaths should serve as a warning about the potential dangers of using bat guano as a fertilizer for any plants. This may be a particular issue for cannabis growers.
"Given the recent legalization and an expected increase in home cultivation of cannabis, along with the promotion of bat guano for this purpose, it is important to raise public awareness about the potential risk of using bat guano as fertilizer," the case report authors wrote. The authors added that they found numerous articles calling bat guano a "natural superfood" for cannabis plants due to its high concentration of nitrogen and phosphorus.
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- Max Peck
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
"What? What? What?" -- The 14th Doctor
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- Isgrimnur
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
We didn't pass the Guano Islands Act of 1856 because it wasn't what plants crave.
It's almost as if people are the problem.
- Isgrimnur
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
Norovirus outbreaks reported on 3 cruise ships this month, sickening hundreds
The CDC has logged outbreaks in 2024 on 14 cruise voyages, but three ships were hit in December. This is the only month this year when the CDC has reported three confirmed norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships and there's still more than a week to go before the month ends. In all, 301 passengers and crew members fell ill during the December outbreaks, health officials said.
Those on Princess Cruises' Ruby Princess, on a trip around Hawaii's island, and Holland America's Rotterdam and Zuiderdam voyages, both in the Caribbean, mostly dealt with diarrhea and vomiting.
It's almost as if people are the problem.
- gilraen
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
Noro is worse in winter. All it takes is one passenger boarding the ship while sick. Heck, there's a noro outbreak going around in Denver right now.
- Smoove_B
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
Here we call it Norovirus, but over in Europe it's known as "Winter Vomiting Sickness". I respect the efficiency.
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- Max Peck
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
I guess freezing doesn't neutralize the H5N1 virus.
Pet food recalled over bird flu contamination after cat dies
Pet food recalled over bird flu contamination after cat dies
A voluntary recall was issued for a line of raw and frozen pet food after a cat died of bird flu, a case that Oregon officials connected to the feline's contaminated food.
Northwest Naturals told consumers Tuesday to toss their Feline Turkey Recipe raw frozen pet food if its sell-by date falls between May 21, 2026, and June 23, 2026. The company's website said the batch, which was sold across the United States, tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), more commonly known as bird flu.
Consumers can call 866-637-1872 for information on a refund.
The Oregon Agriculture Department also issued a notice about the recall, which followed tests by its lab and a veterinary diagnostic laboratory at Oregon State University.
State Veterinarian Dr. Ryan Scholz said the department was confident that the cat's bird flu was contracted from the Northwest Naturals food.
"This cat was strictly an indoor cat; it was not exposed to the virus in its environment, and results from the genome sequencing confirmed that the virus recovered from the raw pet food and infected cat were exact matches to each other," he said.
"What? What? What?" -- The 14th Doctor
It's not enough to be a good player... you also have to play well. -- Siegbert Tarrasch
It's not enough to be a good player... you also have to play well. -- Siegbert Tarrasch
- Max Peck
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
It sounds like H5N1 hits cats hard.
Bird flu kills 20 big cats at US animal sanctuary
Bird flu kills 20 big cats at US animal sanctuary
Twenty big cats - including a Bengal tiger and four cougars - have died of bird flu over the past several weeks at an animal sanctuary in the state of Washington.
"This tragedy has deeply affected our team, and we are all grieving the loss of these incredible animals," the Wild Felid Advocacy Center of Washington wrote in a post on Facebook.
The devastating viral infection, carried by wild birds, spreads primarily through respiratory secretions and bird-to-bird contact and can also be contracted by mammals that ingest birds or other products.
The sanctuary is under quarantine and is closed to the public to prevent the spread of the virus, the statement said.
The animals died between late November and mid-December, the sanctuary's director, Mark Mathews, told the New York Times.
"We've never had anything like it; they usually die basically of old age," he said. "Not something like this, it's a pretty wicked virus."
The news comes as bird flu continues to spread among cattle and poultry in the US, while also severely infecting at least one human.
The sanctuary said it had lost five African serval cats, four bobcats, two Canada lynx and a Bengal tiger, among others. Only 17 cats now remain at the Center.
"Cats are particularly vulnerable to this virus, which can cause subtle initial symptoms but progress rapidly, often resulting in death within 24 hours due to pneumonia-like conditions," the sanctuary said in its Facebook statement on Friday.
"What? What? What?" -- The 14th Doctor
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- Kraken
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
Hope I can avoid risk by not buying poultry-flavored canned food. My cats prefer fish flavors exclusively, but I know that the name of the flavor only loosely reflects the ingredients.
- Victoria Raverna
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
Worry about virus in canned food?Kraken wrote: Wed Dec 25, 2024 10:40 pm Hope I can avoid risk by not buying poultry-flavored canned food. My cats prefer fish flavors exclusively, but I know that the name of the flavor only loosely reflects the ingredients.
- Max Peck
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
Canned food is cooked and heat-treated to prevent spoilage, so even if an ingredient came from an infected animal the virus would be neutralized.Victoria Raverna wrote: Wed Dec 25, 2024 10:58 pmWorry about virus in canned food?Kraken wrote: Wed Dec 25, 2024 10:40 pm Hope I can avoid risk by not buying poultry-flavored canned food. My cats prefer fish flavors exclusively, but I know that the name of the flavor only loosely reflects the ingredients.
"What? What? What?" -- The 14th Doctor
It's not enough to be a good player... you also have to play well. -- Siegbert Tarrasch
It's not enough to be a good player... you also have to play well. -- Siegbert Tarrasch
- Kraken
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
Ah, I missed "raw and frozen." No danger of my boys getting that. Never mind.
- LawBeefaroni
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
Lot of norovirus in our ICCs and EDs.
And while visiting family over the holidays, we ended up getting a hotel instead of staying with family since there were all kinds of couging/hoarse guests also staying at the house. Turned out to be the right choice as nearly everyone got sick, but we were spared. No idea what though, since testing isn't a thing. I'm guessing flu and RSV.
And I hear whooping cough is making a comeback. Stay up to date on that TDaP, folks.
And while visiting family over the holidays, we ended up getting a hotel instead of staying with family since there were all kinds of couging/hoarse guests also staying at the house. Turned out to be the right choice as nearly everyone got sick, but we were spared. No idea what though, since testing isn't a thing. I'm guessing flu and RSV.
And I hear whooping cough is making a comeback. Stay up to date on that TDaP, folks.
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"No scientific discovery is named after its original discoverer." -Stigler's Law of Eponymy, discovered by Robert K. Merton
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- Smoove_B
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
Yeah, the reports I'm seeing are showing a mix of influenza and RSV on the east coast, but now norovirus is surging in the midwest and Whooping Cough is surging in population-dense states (NY, CA, TX) and population-dense areas of random states (like OHIO). The thing with Whooping Cough is we're still not back to peak numbers from prior to COVID-19 - meaning the cases are just now sort of returning to what we used to see. Whether or not they'll increase to levels above what we saw in 2019 remains to be seen, but the guess is that yes, yes they will.
We're also seeing lots of walking pneumonia - we seem to be in a the cycle where it is also surging (it happens every ~4 years for reasons we don't quite understand).
Will second the recommendation that anyone and everyone should be getting vaccinated for anything and everything you can.
We're also seeing lots of walking pneumonia - we seem to be in a the cycle where it is also surging (it happens every ~4 years for reasons we don't quite understand).
Will second the recommendation that anyone and everyone should be getting vaccinated for anything and everything you can.
Maybe next year, maybe no go
- Smoove_B
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
Great overview today on Bird flu - practical advice for the average person, especially with respect to feeding wild birds and how to handle your cat:
Bird feeders and backyard flocks:
Bird feeders and backyard flocks:
Cats and pets in general:"If you had things that had bird poop on them, yes, you would want to avoid that or disinfect it," says Anderson.
You could do the same for your bird feeder. He says just use common sense hygiene principles like washing your hands and avoid touching your face before hand washing.
People who have backyard flocks should be particularly cognizant of the risk, especially if they live in the path of migratory birds. Do your best to keep your poultry from mixing with wild birds. If you're concerned, you can wear an N95 mask around them.
The basic principles for keeping yourself safe from bird flu also apply to your pets.
Coleman's advice: Give your cats a little bit more supervision when they're outside. Keep them away from wild birds (dead or alive) and rodents, especially if you live on a farm or have backyard poultry.
...
Dogs are also susceptible. Last year, a dog in Canada died from the infection after it was found chewing on a dead goose.
While pets can develop respiratory symptoms, the infection can manifest as a neurological illness, seeming to mimic rabies, she says. "If your cat or your dog starts acting funny, maybe circling or acting rabid, make sure to contact a veterinarian right away."
There have only been a few documented cases of feline-to-human transmission of avian influenza, after people tending to the animals had direct contact, but not during this current outbreak.
Anderson says "there's no need to panic" that your pet is going to be getting H5N1 tomorrow, especially if you keep them from these known sources of infection.
"It's just about being aware," he says.
Maybe next year, maybe no go
- Smoove_B
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
Definitely a theme as we close out the year and head into the unknown...
Cows:
I also haven't seen any type of education in my own state (I live in an ag-heavy area) targeting farmers or backyard bird enthusiasts. Overall, I find it quite troubling.
Baby, can you dig you man?
Cows:
Chickens:The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today confirmed 12 more H5N1 avian flu detections in dairy cattle, all from California, as more outbreaks were confirmed in poultry across four states.
The newly confirmed detections in California’s dairy cattle, where outbreaks have been under way since late August, push the state’s total to 697 and the national total to 912 across 16 states.
It feels pretty clear (to me) that we're currently soaking in H5N1 - it's all around us. And while it's true that the current risk to humans is low, the fact that there's so much of it around us isn't good. This is not something we should be "getting comfortable" with and I am really hoping they (feds) step up and start putting pressure on agriculture to get it together.Of the newly confirmed outbreaks in poultry, three of the four states had more detections on commercial farms, including a layer farm in Ohio’s Darke County that has about 1 million birds. The event marks the state’s second H5N1 detection this month.
Elsewhere, the virus struck a broiler farm in California’s Sacramento County that houses nearly 154,000 birds. In Michigan, the virus was found on another turkey farm in Ottawa County, the second in a week. The facility has 75,500 birds.
The virus continues to strike backyard birds, with the latest event involving a location in Missouri’s Pemiscot County with a flock of 70 birds.
I also haven't seen any type of education in my own state (I live in an ag-heavy area) targeting farmers or backyard bird enthusiasts. Overall, I find it quite troubling.
Baby, can you dig you man?
Maybe next year, maybe no go
- Smoove_B
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
(I will not read Bird Flu news on NYE... I will not read Bird Flu news on NYE....)
Critical illness in an adolescent:
Critical illness in an adolescent:
In short, it almost killed her after ~5 days. I'm sure there's going to be all kinds of hot takes on pre-exisiting conditions, but I'm also curious to learn more about the first American case in Louisiana.On November 4, 2024, a 13-year-old girl with a history of mild asthma and an elevated body-mass index (the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters) of greater than 35 presented to an emergency department in British Columbia with a 2-day history of conjunctivitis in both eyes and a 1-day history of fever. She was discharged home without treatment, but cough, vomiting, and diarrhea then developed, and she returned to the emergency department on November 7 in respiratory distress with hemodynamic instability. On November 8, she was transferred, while receiving bilevel positive airway pressure, to the pediatric intensive care unit at British Columbia Children’s Hospital with respiratory failure, pneumonia in the left lower lobe, acute kidney injury, thrombocytopenia, and leukopenia.
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- Hrdina
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
My son and I managed to pick up cases of Influenza A late last week. The other two people in our house (wife & daughter) have so far escaped. We're in NJ.Smoove_B wrote: Mon Dec 30, 2024 12:20 pm Yeah, the reports I'm seeing are showing a mix of influenza and RSV on the east coast, but now norovirus is surging in the midwest and Whooping Cough is surging in population-dense states (NY, CA, TX) and population-dense areas of random states (like OHIO).
I think my son had it much worse than I did. I did get a flu vaccine at work in September; son did not have one.
Glad we tested negative for covid as we're due to get those vaccinations in mid-January.
Conform or be cast out!
- coopasonic
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
New Jersey (#1) has over 10x the population density of Texas (#23). Sorry I just was amused at Texas being referred to as a population dense state. Back to your regular programming.
-Coop
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- Smoove_B
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
Sorry, that was a little ham-fisted. I meant to say surging in population dense areas of certain states - like TX and CA. I'm well aware my state is too damn much.
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- Isgrimnur
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
What is human metapneumovirus, are cases surging in China, and should we be worried?Anonymous Bosch wrote: Wed Jul 08, 2020 10:03 am
Indeed, and (non-novel) human coronaviruses are known to be associated with the common cold:
Wikipedia.org wrote:Cause - Viruses
Coronaviruses are a group of viruses known for causing the common cold. They have a halo or crown-like (corona) appearance when viewed under an electron microscope.
The common cold is a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract. The most commonly implicated virus is a rhinovirus (30–80%), a type of picornavirus with 99 known serotypes. Other commonly implicated viruses include human coronaviruses (≈ 15%), influenza viruses (10–15%), adenoviruses (5%), human respiratory syncytial virus (orthopneumovirus), enteroviruses other than rhinoviruses, human parainfluenza viruses, and human metapneumovirus. Frequently more than one virus is present. In total, more than 200 viral types are associated with colds.
Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a respiratory disease that causes flu or cold-like symptoms, but can increase risks or lead to more serious complications like bronchitis or pneumonia, particularly among the elderly, young children, and immunocompromised people.
The disease is in the same family as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and has been around since at least 2001 when it was first identified in the Netherlands. Its outbreaks are concentrated during colder seasons.
Cases have been surging in northern China, particularly among children, according to local authorities. The country’s centre for disease control (CDC) has warned people to take precautions with health and hygiene, but has also pushed back against online claims of overwhelmed hospitals and fears of another Covid-like pandemic.
...
The apparent increase in cases is likely partly due to new technology more easily detecting and identifying HMPV, experts told the Guardian.
It's almost as if people are the problem.
- Smoove_B
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
First human death from H5N1 reported in Louisiana:
The person, who was over 65 and reportedly had underlying medical conditions, was hospitalized with the flu after exposure to a backyard flock of birds and to wild birds.
Louisiana health officials said that their investigation found no other human cases linked to this person’s infection.
The patient was infected with the D1.1 clade of the bird flu virus, a strain that is circulating in wild bird and poultry. It’s different from the variant that’s circulating in dairy cattle.
The CDC reported in late December that a genetic analysis of the virus that infected the patient found changes expected to enhance its ability to infect the upper airways of humans and spread more easily from person to person. Those same changes were not seen in the birds the person had been exposed to, officials said, indicating that they had developed in the person after they were infected.
Although the overall risk to the public remains low, people who keep chickens and other birds in their backyards are at higher risk for bird flu, as are workers on dairy and poultry farms.
Maybe next year, maybe no go
- LordMortis
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
For Smoove, where I may find her...
https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/ ... 602656007/
https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/ ... 602656007/
This if feeling vaguely familiar January of five years ago. Let's hope not.More than 100 chickens, geese, ducks and other birds at the farm at Hess-Hathaway Park in Waterford have been culled after some of them tested positive for the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu, township Supervisor Anthony Bartolotta said Friday.
The birds were identified Thursday by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Urban Development as being a "backyard flock" in Oakland County with the virus.
That's just one bit of public information that was corrected Friday both by Bartolotta and by the Oakland County Health Division, which also acknowledged only one person is symptomatic after contact with the birds — not two, as a county spokesperson reported Thursday.
At least 10 other people are under public health monitoring for symptoms.
"The farm staff was great in identifying which staff and volunteers may have been in contact with any of the animals, and so they provided that to us," said Christie Clement-Halladay, chief of Oakland County’s Communicable Disease Unit.
"We've come up with a list of 11, maybe 12. We are still nailing down contacts who may have been exposed, may have been in contact with sick or dead birds. We are monitoring their health. We'll talk to them every day for 10 days to monitor, and make sure that they don't develop symptoms and also get everyone tested if they do."
One person, Clement-Halladay said, has "mild" upper respiratory symptoms that include nasal congestion and cough.
- Max Peck
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
Why do I feel like a responsible response would include proactive testing to screen for asymptomatic infection rather than waiting to see if any of these dozen or so potential carriers develop symptoms before testing them.
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- Smoove_B
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
My general (cynical) impression is that the H5N1 virus in humans isn't deadly enough to do anything other than just sort of wait and see what happens. Taking proactive measures by aggressively monitoring in people would naturally lead to a discussion about what we're doing to try and mitigate spread in the agricultural industry. Clearly that is going to ripple out into the economy and send my comments to R&P, so there we are.
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- Max Peck
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
Yeah, but they went through the effort of contact tracing and are monitoring specific individuals and talking about it all, so they don't seem to be all that bothered by the optics of being seen "doing something" in this case. I just don't grok the up side of not testing or the down side of testing when they've already done the hard part.
"What? What? What?" -- The 14th Doctor
It's not enough to be a good player... you also have to play well. -- Siegbert Tarrasch
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- Smoove_B
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
Contact tracing (as a concept) existed as a core function for public health workers; it's not something that was new when Covid-19 hit. While I don't know for sure, there was probably a question that came up with the index case during their medical evaluation that was then elevated to the local health agency. Something like having contact with wild birds, working in a pet store or agricultural industry. And once they realized this was a "backyard flock" situation where lots of workers and volunteers could have been impacted, it became a bigger deal. The news article serves as a way to raise awareness and get people that might not be picked up by questioning to contact health authorities directly if they're experiencing symptoms. I guess similar to what happens when someone with measles makes their way through an airport or train station.
Testing is expensive and I'm not sure what the false-negative risk is for people that are asymptomatic. Because it's still a developing disease, they might only get good info from people that are sick enough to be hospitalized. The biggest outbreak I ever worked on was ~40 probable cases and another 30 or so suspected. I think we only collected and sent samples from around 4 or 5 people to the state lab for confirmation. I keep kicking myself for not taking the case file with me when I switched jobs, as I feel like the universe has been nudging me for 25 years that I should have written it all up and submitted to a journal for publication. Maybe 2025 will be the time...
Testing is expensive and I'm not sure what the false-negative risk is for people that are asymptomatic. Because it's still a developing disease, they might only get good info from people that are sick enough to be hospitalized. The biggest outbreak I ever worked on was ~40 probable cases and another 30 or so suspected. I think we only collected and sent samples from around 4 or 5 people to the state lab for confirmation. I keep kicking myself for not taking the case file with me when I switched jobs, as I feel like the universe has been nudging me for 25 years that I should have written it all up and submitted to a journal for publication. Maybe 2025 will be the time...
Maybe next year, maybe no go
- stessier
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
Next week I have to get on a plane for the first time in 5 years. What is the overall health outlook these days? I'll be going from the South East to Wisconsin...I'm gonna need to find some warm clothes.
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- Smoove_B
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
I hear mixed things, but generally that so much depends on the carrier and their commitment to keeping the air filtered. I also think luck cannot be ruled out.stessier wrote: Mon Jan 13, 2025 3:11 pm What is the overall health outlook these days? I'll be going from the South East to Wisconsin
But this time of year on a plane? I feel like I would be the weirdo still masking given the number of things circulating right now.
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- ImLawBoy
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
I still mask on planes (of course, I pretty much mask everywhere). I think people are actually less likely to think you're weird for masking on a plane than, say, at the grocery store. I've probably flown 10-12 times since the start of the pandemic and haven't come down with anything yet (knock on wood).
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- stessier
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
This does make me feel better. Do you use an N95 or a lesser mask. The N95's never seal well for me and end up fogging up my glasses, but that's still my plan (I think).ImLawBoy wrote: Mon Jan 13, 2025 3:27 pm I still mask on planes (of course, I pretty much mask everywhere). I think people are actually less likely to think you're weird for masking on a plane than, say, at the grocery store. I've probably flown 10-12 times since the start of the pandemic and haven't come down with anything yet (knock on wood).
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- LordMortis
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
Hope you have never need a CPAP. N95s seal great for me (however tight) but I have yet to find CPAP mask with even reasonably good seal and the blowing into my eyes makes sleep impossible, even with my eyes shut.stessier wrote: Mon Jan 13, 2025 4:09 pmThis does make me feel better. Do you use an N95 or a lesser mask. The N95's never seal well for me and end up fogging up my glasses, but that's still my plan (I think).ImLawBoy wrote: Mon Jan 13, 2025 3:27 pm I still mask on planes (of course, I pretty much mask everywhere). I think people are actually less likely to think you're weird for masking on a plane than, say, at the grocery store. I've probably flown 10-12 times since the start of the pandemic and haven't come down with anything yet (knock on wood).
Also masking in grocery stores is surprisingly becoming more common and picking up nowadays around here (which is not to say they are very common at all. Maybe 1 in 30? Enough that I am starting to feel like maybe I should think about it again).
- ImLawBoy
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Re: [Health] The Infectious Diseases Thread
KN95 under the theory that something is better than nothing.stessier wrote: Mon Jan 13, 2025 4:09 pmThis does make me feel better. Do you use an N95 or a lesser mask. The N95's never seal well for me and end up fogging up my glasses, but that's still my plan (I think).ImLawBoy wrote: Mon Jan 13, 2025 3:27 pm I still mask on planes (of course, I pretty much mask everywhere). I think people are actually less likely to think you're weird for masking on a plane than, say, at the grocery store. I've probably flown 10-12 times since the start of the pandemic and haven't come down with anything yet (knock on wood).
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