german researchNever before has Europe had to deal with such a serious outbreak of bird flu as now. Researchers at the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), which conducts animal welfare research for the German government, say the problems are widespread and there is “no end in sight” for the time being. Meanwhile, scientists are keeping an eye on what the virus spread means for humans.
New infections with bird flu are reported every day and it concerns animals ‘from Finland to the Faroe Islands and from Ireland and Russia to Portugal’.
Birds washed ashore
The disease has been diagnosed in poultry farms in Europe since September. In the Netherlands, the first poultry farm was culled on October 26, which involved 36,000 animals in Zeewolde. But it doesn’t just stop at farm animals. The infectious flu also kills wild birds such as gulls and swans.
According to the FLI, 675 wild animal infections have been reported in Europe since October. Earlier this month, for example, hundreds of dead knots and other wild birds were found in the Netherlands along the coast of Schiermonnikoog and in East Groningen. These birds were also infected with bird flu.
The risk of the bird flu virus passing from animals to humans is very small. “What now occurs are incidental infections in people,” says virologist Marion Koopmans. Scientists are hesitant that the virus will mutate in such a way that people can infect each other with it.
‘Must be alert’
Koopmans: “There are many bird flu species, and we know that a small number can also infect mammals.” For example, there are known cases of a fox and seal that had the virus. “These are viruses with certain spike proteins, the H5, H7 or H9 variant. But it certainly doesn’t apply to everyone. The exact composition is decisive.” The variant H5 (highly contagious) of bird flu was found in Zeewolde in October. After that, a compulsory confinement was introduced in our country for companies, hobby keepers and zoos.
According to Koopmans, the question and care is what is needed in terms of adaptation in the virus so that people can infect each other. “We have to be alert to that with the bird flu virus,” she says.
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