The US is experiencing its largest avian influenza outbreak ever. That is contributing to the rising price of meals and is a reminder that the well being of wildlife, domesticated animals and livestock, and people are deeply intertwined. Scientists name this interconnectedness “One Well being”.
Of explicit curiosity this week is the truth that avian influenza, or “hen flu”, is driving up the cost of Thanksgiving turkeys. My forbes.com colleague and fellow scientist, Bruce Y. Lee, reported three days in the past that Thanksgiving turkeys are nonetheless up about 20% in contrast with final 12 months, and that is down from a high of 73% a couple of months in the past, at the least partly as a result of retailers have chosen to absorb the difference.
The place did avian influenza come from?
Avian influenza shouldn’t be new. Actually, wild birds are the first reservoir of most influenza viruses. Over the past century, new human influenza viruses have emerged on 4 separate events — in 1918, 1957, 1966, and 2009 — when avian influenza viruses “reassorted” with human ones.
As a result of novel human influenza viruses come up comparatively not often, one would possibly assume that hen flu itself is uncommon. However, this isn’t the case. Avian influenza impacts a variety of untamed hen species, from geese and geese to gulls and waders.
One study discovered that the prevalence of influenza antibodies — a measurement of previous infections — in laughing gulls (Leucophaeus atricilla) ranged from 25%–72%. In some locations, the prevalence of influenza in wild birds has been known to approach 50%.
Most of this influenza is called Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza (LPAI). LPAI not often causes symptomatic illness, in distinction to Extremely Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). Whereas LPAI is round almost on a regular basis, HPAI tends to be extra episodic and susceptible to dramatic outbreaks.
Like LPAI, HPAI viruses are carried by wild birds. However, not like LPAI, when HPAI will get into poultry it spreads quickly from hen to hen inflicting outbreaks that may be devastating to business flocks.
Outbreaks of Extremely Pathogenic Avian Influenza
North America is presently in the course of its largest outbreak of HPAI since 2014-2015, when roughly 7 million turkeys and 43 million chickens have been misplaced via illness or “depopulation”, a USDA coverage and containment technique that requires culling all birds on affected premises. The 2014-2015 outbreak is estimated to have price taxpayers $879m in public expenditures, a determine that doesn’t embody uncompensated prices to producers, making the 2014-2015 HPAI outbreak the most expensive animal well being incident in US historical past.
Now, the present outbreak seems poised to surpass these figures. In accordance with the CDC, as of November 22, 2022, a complete of fifty,461,200 birds have been affected — roughly tied with the 2014-2015 complete. Though the outbreak is slowing down (it seems to have peaked in September and October), extra contaminated flocks are being detected nearly day by day.
Counties reporting avian influenza criss-cross the US starting from Florida to Washington and California to Maine. Solely the states of Alabama, Hawaii, Louisiana, and West Virginia haven’t reported infections. The locations the place contaminated birds have been discovered embody backyards, petting zoos, manufacturing amenities for recreation birds, and the farms of business breeders of turkeys, geese, and chickens.
To this point, solely one case has been reported in a human. This was in an individual who was treating birds that have been believed on the time to be contaminated. Despite the fact that the CDC considers the risk to most people to be low, authorities officers nonetheless urge folks elevating chickens of their backyards to take precautions resembling utilizing gloves and face masks or respirators when dealing with birds, washing their fingers after touching birds, and avoiding direct contact with clothes or different supplies that will have change into contaminated with animal saliva, mucous, of feces.
A one well being method to influenza
All of this can be a reminder that human well being and animal well being are linked. Zoonoses are pathogens of animals transmitted to folks and there’s proof that zoonoses are increasing in frequency. In 2020, The United Nations Surroundings Programme issued a report warning that extra occasions just like the Covid-19 pandemic are to be anticipated except actions are taken quickly to mitigate the spillover of animal pathogens into folks. That is the concept of One Well being, about which I’ve written earlier than. Our human inhabitants and that of the opposite species with which we share the planet are deeply linked. Our fates rise and fall collectively. The excessive value of vacation turkeys proper now’s a reminder of that truth.