Avian flu in Brazil: Humans take?

THE Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Map) confirmed, on Friday (16), that it detected the virus of high pathogenicity aviary influenza (IAAP) in a commercial poultry farm . It is the first IAAP focus detected in a commercial poultry system in Brazil.

The circulation of the virus was confirmed in a matrixeiro located in the municipality of Montenegro (RS). IAAP had already been detected in Asia, Africa and northern Europe.

After all, humans take avian flu?

Avian flu infections are rare in people. As its name suggests, avian influenza viruses prefer to infect birds. Briefly, they invade cells by fixing themselves into sugars that project their surfaces, called Sioral Acids.

One study Published in December 2024, in Science magazine, it showed that only a fundamental change in the genetic material of the virus would allow him to attach to the most common types of sioric acids in people’s nose and lungs. But it is almost impossible to predict when this could happen – or if it will happen.

Human animal transmission events

When humans were infected with avian flu, it was almost always through contact with infected animals. With the exception of one, all these transmission cases were light.

The two groups of people who are most at risk are rural workers who work with cows or poultry and people who maintain backyard creations, Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota University Research and Policy Center, said.

Birds eliminate the virus through saliva, mucus and feces, and it can become aerotransported when their bed and feathers are agitated in barns, particularly during slaughter operations. “It may be on the air,” said Osterholm. “So it’s not only contact by touching the birds, but also dandruff and all the dust that occurs when you are dealing with birds.”

The virus also focuses on dairy cows, and studies have found high concentrations of the avian flu virus in raw or unhealthy milk.

Raw milk risks

No human infection has been related to raw milk consumption, although a child in California recently tested positive for influenza after drinking a large amount of raw milk. However, the CDC could not confirm that the infection was avian flu, so this child is listed as a suspicious case.

But there are a lot of data on other pathogens that can be found in raw milk, even without specific evidence for H5N1. In 2023 and 2024, outbreaks of E. coli and salmonella infections were tracked to raw milk. He can also house other pathogens such as listeria and Campylobacter.

Pasteurization kills all these harmful germs, including H5N1, as shown by a recent government study.

However, refrigeration does not. One recent study From Stanford University, which involved contamination of raw milk with flu viruses and cell tests on Petri plates, found that the virus could still infect cells for up to five days after being refrigerated.

Keep safe

According to the CDC, the best way to protect yourself from avian flu is to avoid sources of exposure. People can contract avian flu when enough virus enters their eyes, nose or mouth or when they inhale it. This usually requires close and prolonged exposure to infected animals.

For this reason, the CDC recommends that people stay away from poultry or other sick or dead animals, and avoid touching surfaces contaminated with feces or saliva, such as trash or bed.

If you need to manipulate poultry, cows or other sick animals, such as a farm or rescue environment, the CDC recommends the use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). This includes:

• Protection glasses;
• Disposable gloves;
• A face mask N95;
• Overalls;
• Rubber boots.

Because raw milk can carry so many dangerous germs, experts advise to avoid it and opt for pasteurized dairy products.

But what about raw eggs? The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states that it is unlikely that eggs of an infected herd will reach the shelves of stores, as birds quickly get sick with avian flu, and there are safeguards implemented, such as inspections, to prevent contaminated eggs from reaching the market.

Still, it is a good idea to cook eggs and birds to a safe temperature and prevent cross contamination between raw and cooked foods in the kitchen.

*With information from Brenda Goodman, from CNN

Avian flu: what it is, what the symptoms and how the treatment is done

This content was originally published in Avian flu in Brazil: Humans take? on the CNN Brazil website.

Source: CNN Brasil