A new outbreak of bird flu has been discovered in Australia, where the authorities confirm the outbreak of the H7N8 bird in the egg farm in northern Victoria at the weekend.
This detection comes just weeks after lifting quarantine restrictions on the last property affected by the outbreak of bird flu in Victoria in 2024 – the largest in Australia.
Increases Egg prices and Constant deficiency The headlines have been topped in Australia and the United States in recent months.
However, in the United States, the perpetrator is a different sub -type of virus – H5N1, which has created Havok worldwide and has worried experts about the possibility of another human pandemic.
What is the outbreak of the new bird flu and is it related to eggs?
The outbreak of bird flu on the poultry farm in Euroa, in northeastern Victoria. The test has confirmed that H7N8, a type of pathogenic flu, which means that it can cause a severe prevalence of the disease with many sick and dead birds.
It differs from the other H7 dynasty Which affected the Victorian poultry farms during the outbreak of 2024, which was eliminated.
In mid -2014, there were the outbreaks of the H7 bird flu in all parts of Southeast Australia in eight places in Victoria and six in New South Wales and two in the Australian capital region. Of these, 11 was commercial poultry farms. An estimated 1.8 million birds were executed last year on the affected farms, which led to a fewer chicken and a decrease in Egg production.
The reason for the outbreak of New South Wales was in the H7N8 virus, but agriculture confirmed that Victoria confirmed that the current Victorian outbreak was not related to these two.
Historically, H7N8 was not a dominant strain worldwide, nor is it widely related to human infection. He said that the source of such outbreaks is usually a migratory bird.
“These birds are usually present in the population of water birds – ducks and geese, this type of things,” said Dr. Jin Yonger, a record of vertebrate environment in the southern ocean at the University of Tasmania. “What happened is that these viruses have spread in poultry, and have revived these pathogens, and then spread again to the wild population.”
In the United States, the outbreak of bird influenza destroyed poultry herds since October, which prompted the price of eggs. Since January, about 14.7 million chicken producing eggs It was affected in the United States, which exceeds the total number of chickens affected in 2023.
But the perpetrator is a different sub -type, H5N1, which has been in the United States for years and has caused outbreaks around the world since 2021.
A certain group of H5N1 viruses, known as Clade 2.3.4.4B, dismantled the United Kingdom’s land bird groups, throughout Europe, South Africa and the Americas, killing tens of millions of birds. She also killed tens of thousands of seals and the lions of the sea 48 Type of mammals.
“Australia is currently the only continent that is free of that particular strain,” said Young said. H5N1 was discovered in Antarctica for the first time in 2023 and can spread through thousands of kilometers by migratory birds.
“None of us knows whether or when he will reach Australia,” the youngest added, describing it, “Certainly something we need to prepare for.”
How worried about H5N1?
So far, H5N1 mostly affected the agricultural sector and wildlife. But her ability to infection with humans is anxious of virus scientists.
The United States has recorded 67 human injuries since 2024, while it was informed of Australia One caseIn a child returning from India last May. However, the research indicates this Many human cases Do not discover.
Although there was no clear transition from a person to a person from H5N1, after that, Scientists are at a maximum alert. Last year, H5N1 jumped to other domesticated species in the United States, including cows, goats, pigs and cats.
“We know that he is very nurse in nature, it is very sophisticated,” said Palasopramaniam of H5N1 2.3.4.4B. “I think it is the dominant strain on global attention.” He said that unprecedented spread and infections in the new mammals and genetic changes need immediate scientific and political attention.
“It determines all the funds that the virus enjoys with the possibilities of the epidemic,” said Palacramaniam. “The only thing that you lack is the mutation that enables it to be by air and transfer the human being to man.”
In October, the Australian government announced that it would invest $ 100 million to boost responses for surveillance and biological security against H5N1.
