The upcoming administration of President Donald Trump and the country’s economic and foreign policy direction are top concerns, but another issue is looming large: the management of the H5N1 virus outbreak in American cattle farms. The highly pathogenic avian influenza virus has been circulating worldwide for years, with a recent surge in the US.
Researchers have long understood the ecology of these viruses, which circulate quietly in wild bird populations before infecting poultry farms through accidental contamination. As the viral load increases, so do the infectivity and pathogenicity of the viruses. The spread of H5N1 has had devastating consequences for certain endangered species and even affected domestic animals such as cats, foxes, and seals.
What’s new is that this time, the virus is American. A genetic mutation has led to the emergence of clade 2.3.4.4b in non-carnivorous mammals, infecting goats and dairy cows in several US states since March 2024. This marks an epidemiological shift, according to experts who wrote about it in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
The situation is rapidly progressing, with a recent report showing that 474 herds have been infected in California alone. As the virus spreads, global health concerns are growing. With the US being one of the largest agricultural producers in the world, the impact of this outbreak could be far-reaching.
Source: https://www.lemonde.fr/en/opinion/article/2024/12/15/america-s-handling-of-the-bird-flu-crisis-is-putting-and-will-continue-to-put-the-entire-world-at-risk_6736100_23.html