FOOD SAFETY NEWS – The Pan American Health Organization is reporting another human death from the bird flu.
As of August, there have been 76 human cases and two deaths in five countries in the Americas, according to the organization. There have been 990 patients and 475 deaths across 25 countries, for a fatality rate of 48 percent.
Health experts are concerned that more people will become infected as the virus continues to mutate and jump to mammals around the world. The high fatality rate is also a major concern.
The virus has been found to live for weeks in raw milk and for months in cheese made from raw milk.
“In recent years, there has been an increase in the detection of A(H5N1) viruses in non-avian species worldwide, including terrestrial and marine mammals, both wild and domestic (companion and production),” the Pan American Health Organization report said.
Meantime, The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has reported dozens of new avian flu detections in flocks of wild waterfowl in several states. The virus easily jumps from wild birds to domesticated flocks, as well as dairy cattle.
APHIS announced H5N1 avian flu identifications in several states, including mallard ducks in New Hampshire; black vultures in Indiana, Kentucky, Utah, and West Virginia; Canada geese and a turkey vulture in Utah; a bald eagle and mallard in Wisconsin; and an unidentified type of goose in Washington state.
H5N1 was also found in four different species in Montana; green- and blue-winged teals and a mallard in Oregon; Canada geese in Arizona and Illinois; seven species in Minnesota; an unidentified type of duck in Texas; and green- and blue-winged teals in Wyoming.
A total of 19 countries and territories in the Americas Region reported 5,063 outbreaks of avian influenza (in domestic flocks) to WOAH,” PAHO added.
In the United States millions of domestic fowl have been culled in attempts to slow the spread of the disease.
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