Avian flu kills 50 million birds in record US outbreak - BBC

Over 50 cardinal birds person died amid a record-breaking outbreak of avian flu successful the United States, according to the Department of Agriculture (USDA).

This year's full of 50.54m birds - including chickens and turkeys - has surpassed a erstwhile precocious acceptable successful 2015.

Flocks successful implicit 40 states person been affected, much than treble the fig of states successful the erstwhile outbreak.

While the hazard for humans is low, authorities person warned that information measures should beryllium taken adjacent birds.

The illness is dispersed by chaotic birds which transmit the microorganism done feathers, faeces and nonstop contact.

"Wild birds proceed to dispersed HPAI [highly pathogenic avian influenza] passim the state arsenic they migrate, truthful preventing interaction betwixt home flocks and chaotic birds is captious to protecting US poultry," Rosemary Sifford, the USDA's main veterinary officer, was quoted arsenic saying by Reuters.

In a 3 November announcement astir the ongoing outbreak, the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said that portion the hazard to the wide nationalist remains low, it is advising Americans to instrumentality "preventative measures" - specified arsenic avoiding nonstop interaction with chaotic birds and avoiding unprotected interaction with poultry - to forestall spreading the illness to humans, pets, birds and different animals.

"This applies not conscionable to workplace oregon wildlife settings, but perchance to household settings wherever radical person backyard flocks oregon favored birds with imaginable exposures to chaotic oregon home infected birds," the connection added.

While cases of quality infections are rare, the CDC's website warns that the microorganism could dispersed erstwhile airborne - specified arsenic via droplets oregon particulate - if it gets into a person's eyes, chemoreceptor oregon mouth, oregon is inhaled.

Symptoms of vertebrate flu successful humans person antecedently ranged from oculus redness and mild flu-like symptoms, to pneumonia and trouble breathing. World Health Organization (WHO) information shows that lone 868 cases of transmission from birds to humans were recorded betwixt 2003 and 3 November 2022, resulting successful 456 deaths.

In the US, lone 1 lawsuit - a Colorado nonmigratory who was straight exposed to poultry - has been reported successful the caller outbreak. The idiosyncratic reported fatigue for a fewer days and recovered, the CDC said successful April.

Poultry deaths stemming from avian flu led to rising prices for eggs and turkey up of past week's Thanksgiving vacation successful the US. The American Farm Bureau, a US-based security institution and lobbying group, said the terms of a accepted Thanksgiving turkey had risen 21% implicit the past twelvemonth and present stands astatine astir $29 (£24.05) for a 16 lb (7.5kg) bird.

Record outbreaks of avian flu person besides swept crossed the UK and Europe, arsenic good arsenic parts of Africa and Asia.

The World Organisation for Animal Health believes the question of outbreaks is the effect of planetary trade, farming practices and migratory chaotic birds. Over 4.6 cardinal birds died oregon were culled betwixt mid-October and mid-November alone, according to the organisation.

On 31 October, concerns implicit the outbreak prompted officials successful England to bid that each poultry and captive birds indispensable beryllium kept indoors from 7 November.

A akin measurement went into effect connected Monday successful Northern Ireland, and is scheduled to beryllium implemented successful Wales connected 2 December.