This spring and summer, bird breeding grounds have seen a decline in population. A significant number of Caspian terns at Lake Michigan vanished, and the flock of great skuas at the Hermaness reserve in Scotland may have shrunk by 90 percent. There have also been reports of thousands of pelicans dying in Peru and a massacre of Arctic tern chicks in the United Kingdom. These deaths are a result of the outbreak of H5N1 avian flu, which has already caused the death of millions of domestic poultry and is now impacting wild bird populations.
Experts initially focused on the magnitude of the outbreak, but now the concern is how long the virus will persist. Historically, avian flu outbreaks in North America have been short-lived, but this new strain is proving to be stubborn. The United States has even started offering avian flu vaccines to birds, beginning with the critically endangered California condors.
The longer the virus lingers, the greater the risk of it spreading to mammals. There are some concerns that H5N1 may have found new ways of transmission among mink, foxes, and wild seals. While the chances of an outbreak among humans are low, the threat could grow if the virus establishes itself among more mammal species.
Scientists are unsure why this particular strain of avian flu has been so successful in North America. It has infected more birds and mammals than any previous avian flu strain and is evolving at a rapid rate. While not all infected animals show severe symptoms, there are signs that the outbreak may be slowing down in certain areas.
However, experts are worried about a potential surge of disease in the fall, as birds return to their overwintering sites. Even without a resurgence, it is unlikely that H5N1 will be fully eliminated in North America due to its presence in over 100 species. The virus has a very low transmissibility to humans at present, but the list of infected mammals is growing.
The virus has also become deadlier since its arrival in North America, causing severe symptoms in certain species. To become an even greater threat, the virus would need to be able to easily infect mammalian lungs and transmit efficiently between mammals. While there is no evidence of these changes yet, it is still possible for the virus to cross the barrier between birds and mammals.
There is no one solution to eliminate the pandemic threat of H5N1. Vaccinating both poultry and wild animals can help, but it can be expensive and challenging to administer. Without vigilant monitoring, the virus could continue to spread and evolve.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
