Covering Pandemic and Seasonal Flu, Emerging Infectious Diseases, public health, community & Individual preparedness. NOTE: All AFD blogs are written by a human - any mistakes are solely mine.
Overdue Last read · last published · next check
Last read 3 days ago, longer than this feed's 11 hours schedule.
#19,305 Mink are members of the Mustelidae family of carnivorous mammals, which also includes otters, badgers, weasel, martens, ferrets, and wolverines. Many of these species are susceptible to flu viruses – most notably ferrets – which are often used in influenza research. Over the past 20 years we've looked a a number of concerning spillovers, including: 2009's That Touch Of Mink Flu , where at…
Credit Wikipedia #19,304 Nine days ago, in Kent County MI Health Department Bulletin on Swine Flu (in pigs) at Local Fair , we learned of the death (and several illnesses ) of pigs at a local county fair due to swine flu, and a health alert issued for possible human cases. Two days later, on Aug. 15th, we learned of one confirmed human infection with H1N2v from the Michigan Department of Health…
Photo Credit – CDC #19,303 In late 2024, in EID Journal: Systematic Review of Avian Influenza Virus Infection and Outcomes during Pregnancy - among 30 pregnant women diagnosed with avian flu (H5N1 n = 16, H7N9 n = 13, and H5N6 n = 1) - researchers reported high mortality rates for both mothers (90.0%, 27/30) and their babie s (86.7%, 26/30). As we've discussed often (see Pregnancy & Flu: A Bad…
Credit Wikipedia #19,302 It has been just over a month since New Zealand reported their second H5N1 detection in a local bird ( a swamp harrier hawk) found in the sparsely populated Wairarapa region on the north island ( see map above) . Today, New Zealand has confirmed a 3rd detection - this time in a northern giant petrel, found dead on a remote Cape Palliser beach (also in the Wairarapa ).…
Credit CDC #19,301 Nearly every year we see a handful of rare - mostly fatal - brain infections caused by free living amoebas ( Naegleria fowleri) that inhabit warm, fresh water (see A Reminder About Naegleria Season - 2019). Dubbed the `brain eating amoeba ' by the press - this infection is called PAM (Primary amebic meningoencephalitis ) - and occurs when the amoeba enters the brain through the…
Data as of 4pm AEST, 19 August 2026 #19,300 While HPAI H5N1 reporting from governmental sources have slowed in recent days , overnight the Australian press reported on multiple mass mortality events involving birds in South Australia and Tasmania ( see ABC News Bird flu suspected after more than 1,000 birds found dead in SA, more deaths in Tasmania ). According to multiple news sources (see here…
#19,299 T he WHO has released an update ( dated Aug 7th, but posted overnight) of human novel flu infections reported between July 8th and Aug 7th. Included are 8 H9N2 cases from Mainland China, and 1 H5N1 case from Cambodia (all previously reported ). This report also confirms the H5 case reported from Bangladesh in July has been confirmed as H5N1. For reasons well above my pay grade, reporting…
#19,298 It's been a week since Australia Changed How They Report H5N1 - reporting `events ' rather than individual detections in wildlife - and while the numbers have continued to rise ( see below ), we seem to be getting fewer ( and less detailed) updates. In the first 10 days of August, Australia's Chief Veterinary Officer released 11 bird flu updates/statements , but has only released one in…
#19,297 The two main H5N1 genotypes (out of > 100) we are watching in the United States are the B3.13 ` Bovine' strain which emerged in Texas Cattle in early 2024, and the D1.1 avian strain that appeared in Canada the following fall and quickly spread through wild birds and poultry across the continent. From a distance, it appears that the B3.13 strain produces mainly mild illness in humans ( ie.…
Photo Credit –CDC PHIL Note: Nothing in this blog post should be construed as specific medical advice - as individual needs may vary - and everyone should consult their own doctor. The following is presented for educational uses only. #19,296 Sixteen years ago, in A Hot Topic For Further Research , we saw a retrospective analysis in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine showing the risk of…
#19,295 Even in years when we aren't facing a looming, and likely record-setting, El Nino - which may bring unexpected droughts and floods , or searing heat , to different parts of the world - the agricultural sector regularly faces numerous threats, including emerging and reemerging disease threats ( avian flu , African Swine Fever , and New World Screwworm , etc.) Add in rising diesel fuel…
#19,294 In the 24 hours between Thursday's update and the latest (Friday's) above, more than 1,800 new hotline reports were received from the public, while the number of confirmed H5N1 `events ' rose from 186 to 219. The states of South Australia and Victoria continue as the nation's hotspots, with Victoria overnight reporting the first confirmed local penguin infected with the virus. This little…
Credit Wikipedia #19,293 Three days ago, in Kent County MI Health Department Bulletin on Swine Flu (in pigs) at Local Fair , we saw a local health department advisory on a pig death at the Kent County, MI county fair, and reports of `influenza-like ' illness among individuals who had contact those pigs. Late yesterday the Michigan Dept of Health and Human Services ( MDHHS ) confirmed at least on…
#19,292 This week OFFLU - the WOAH/FAO joint network of expertise on avian influenza - published a 33-page statement which serves as both a detailed account on the opening 6 weeks of the first incursion of HPAI into Australia/New Zealand, and a One-Health technical briefing on the likely implications of H5 HPAI for the region. This statement has an excellent pedigree, and many of the authors will…
