The kid was thought to have been contaminated in India
22 Might 2024
3 minute learn
Australia reported its first human case of avian influenza on Wednesday in a toddler who authorities mentioned had been contaminated in India however made a full restoration, whereas a special extremely contagious pressure was discovered on an egg farm, reported Reuters.Â
The H5N1 pressure of avian flu has swept the globe in recent times, killing billions of farmed and wild birds and spreading to tens of mammal species.
Well being authorities in Australia’s southeastern state of Victoria mentioned contact tracing had not recognized any additional instances and there was a really low probability of others turning into contaminated because the flu doesn’t simply unfold between folks.
“That is the primary confirmed human case of extremely pathogenic avian influenza in Australia,” Dr Claire Looker, the state’s chief well being officer, mentioned in an announcement.
It was the primary occasion of detection of the H5N1 pressure in an individual or animal within the nation, she added.
“The kid skilled a extreme an infection however is not unwell and has made a full restoration.”
The case in Victoria entails an H5N1 virus, however the pressure just isn’t the identical as these chargeable for outbreaks in the US, Looker mentioned.
A farm employee in Texas examined constructive for the virus earlier this yr because it unfold via the US cattle herd.
Australia is the one continent the place animals have to date stayed freed from the H5N1 avian influenza virus, however authorities on Wednesday mentioned a special pressure of extremely pathogenic hen flu had been detected at an egg farm close to Melbourne.
First laboratory assessments confirmed that virus was an as but unidentified H7 pressure that in all probability got here from the wild hen inhabitants and had been seen in Australia earlier than, mentioned Graeme Cooke, Victoria’s chief veterinary officer.
Curbs had been imposed on motion across the farm and the birds can be destroyed, he added.
“This space does have a excessive density of poultry companies, each egg laying and poultry meat,” Cooke advised Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC) radio.
“At this stage we won’t say whether or not there will be any onward unfold to different properties. We at the moment are taking measures essential to stamp it out to take away any onward unfold.”
The outbreak offered no danger to human well being, he mentioned.
Solely a small a part of the business has been affected, mentioned Rowan McMonnies, chief government of business physique Australian Eggs, including that farmers can be “working arduous to make sure there are eggs on cabinets”.
Hen producer Inghams Group plunged as a lot as 16% however pared losses to five.5% by 0701 GMT after it mentioned operations had not been affected.
The Australian Hen Meat Federation (ACMF) mentioned firms had stepped up biosafety measures as a precaution however added, “No discernible influence is predicted on hen meat provides on the retail stage.”
In 2020, Victoria was the location of an H7N7 outbreak, the latest of Australia’s 9 outbreaks of Extremely Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) since 1976. All had been shortly reined in and stamped out, the federal government says.
