1/ Are you struggling to keep track of all the #H5N1 developments in the US?

Together w/ Brennan Klein & Moritz Kraemer, we started an open-access timeline of key events related to the outbreak.

As you can see, the situation is rapidly progressing, so we will keep updating.

NEW: World Health Organization (WHO) report on #H5N1 notes spread to more species, including cattle in the U.S., has led to “increased opportunities for viral reassortment” as organization stresses the need for surveillance, reassessing risks “as the situation evolves.”

Source:
cdn.who.int/media/docs/def…

It's #WorldMalariaDay !

President Julius Maada Bio officially launched the introduction of the malaria vaccine into routine immunization programme of Sierra Leone 🇸🇱, with support from World Health Organization (WHO) and partners.

This year, 95% of eligible children in the country will receive three doses.

1. Listening to an ASTHO - IDSA - CSTE webinar on #H5N1 #birdflu in cows.
Of interest so far:
— Dept. of Agriculture is monitoring feral swine; no detections of H5 so far.
— in the 'small number' of samples tested to date, doesn't look like cows are shedding virus thru feces.

We often hear about lessons learned from COVID & the degree to which we are prepared for the next pandemic.

The answer is painfully clear; we are not where we need to be.

H5N1 has epidemic/pandemic potential & is spreading in plain sight under our nose (US dairy farms) with a…

Interesting tidbits from a press conf today on #H5N1 #birdflu by US agencies
—NIAID-funded researchers found commercial milk that was PCR-pos for H5, but could not grow live virus from it. (Good)
—USDA & CDC admitted some farmers won't let them test.
statnews.com/2024/04/24/h5n…

Grateful for CDC Dawn O'Connell U.S. FDA Dept. of Agriculture brief today on #H5N1 . High (non-tech) level:
- Ongoing human studies & epi w/ workers on farms, processing facilities
- Situation evolving in cows (cow-cow, cow-bird transmission)(asymptomatic infection)
- Federal order to require all…

Does anyone know if countries outside of the US are looking for #H5N1 in cattle and other mammals.

It seems like if not, this would be a good idea.

For those discussing SARS-CoV-2 viral persistence in tissue, please

1) have a close look at the methods section of the studies,

2) peek at how 'long covid' is defined, and

3) contextualize #1 & 2 with the studies below:

tinyurl.com/y57mj8d8; tinyurl.com/28u6hevv…

Everything you ever wanted to know about vaccines for H5N1 avian influenza (including things you didn't even know you wanted to know...)👇

tinyurl.com/2euydcmh by the great Helen Branswell 🇨🇦.

Very important to note here that qPCR positives are not the same as 'virus particles.' It's much easier to detect viral RNA by qPCR than it is to detect infectious virus or intact virus particles (as the article correctly notes).

This finding does have some big implications:

#Breaking Testing conducted by the FDA on pasteurized commercially purchased milk has found genetic evidence of the H5N1 bird flu virus, the agency confirmed Tuesday. trib.al/5sU2zvO

Virus more widespread than what’s reported, has likely been circulating in cattle for some time before recognised in February. Must modernise surveillance systems to integrate animal & human health ⁦The Telegraph⁩ ⁦Dr. Gerald Parker⁩ telegraph.co.uk/global-health/…

#Dengue in #Americas :
✔️Countries in the southern hemisphere have been the hardest hit so far
✔️Cases topping 5.2 million, surpassing a yearly record set in 2023
✔️ #Brazil accounting for a majority of the cases
✔️In #Peru , > 155 000 cases, & 146 died

cnn.com/2024/04/19/ame…

So what would it actually take for #H5N1 avian influenza to become a human pathogen? I've written up what we know about the kinds of changes needed for News from Science

Story is here (and thread to come later):
science.org/content/articl…

Who needs Paxlovid now? New guidelines, studies suggest only the highest-risk groups should get Pfizer’s #COVID antiviral as recommendations narrow who would be eligible.

My latest unpacks the latest research and what it might mean for access in Canada:
cbc.ca/news/health/pa…

It's been getting on for a year since I wrote this thread - heres a bit of an update of where we are with the evidence for mammal-to-mammal transmission of H5N1s.
twitter.com/PeacockFlu/sta…

💲💊Prices for first-line HIV treatment in low & middle income nations (per person, for 1 year of treatment):

2003: $ 1200

2014: $300

2018: under $100

****Today: under $45****

THIS IS A MASSIVE GLOBAL HEALTH WIN

First-in-human vaccine trial for deadly Nipah virus launched

ox.ac.uk/news/2024-01-1…

WHO publishes a global technical consultation report introducing updated terminology for pathogens that transmit through the air.

This report is the result of an extensive, multi-year collaborative effort and reflects shared agreement on terminology between WHO, experts and four…