virologists believing rumors that humans are getting infected
What are you referring to here?
We already have confirmation that it happened hundreds of times that people got infected with H5N1 from contact with animals (only 2 cases in the US so far, but one of them very recently). We can guess that there might be some percentage of unreported extra cases, but I’d expect that to be small because of the virus’s high mortality rate in its current form (and how much vigilance there is now).
So, I’m confused whether you’re referring to confirmed information with the word “rumors,” or whether there are rumors of some new development that’s meaningfully more concerning than what we already have confirmations of. (If so, I haven’t come across it – though “virus particles in milk” and things like that do seem concerning.)
in This Week in Virology, Vincent Racaniello says that he had visited Ohio farmers, and said that farm workers were getting specifically conjunctivitis rather than respiratory infections. He mentioned this really casually.
The same virus was detected subsequently in 86 humans who handled affected poultry and in three of their family members. Of these 89 patients, 78 presented with conjunctivitis, 5 presented with conjunctivitis and influenza-like illness, 2 presented with influenza-like illness, and 4 did not fit the case definitions. Influenza-like illnesses were generally mild, but a fatal case of pneumonia in combination with acute respiratory distress syndrome occurred also.
It spreading to pigs farms seems the biggest risk at the moment, and not unlikely.
But Russo and many other vets have heard anecdotes about workers who have pink eye and other symptoms—including fever, cough, and lethargy—and do not want to be tested or seen by doctors. James Lowe, a researcher who specializes in pig influenza viruses, says policies for monitoring exposed people vary greatly between states. “I believe there are probably lots of human cases,” he says, noting that most likely are asymptomatic. Russo says she is heartened that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has “really started to mobilize and do the right thing,” including linking with state and local health departments, as well as vets, to monitor the health of workers on affected farms.
https://www.science.org/content/article/u-s-government-hot-seat-response-growing-cow-flu-outbreak
April 29, Daily Mail:
Experts have warned that human transmission of bird flu may be far more widespread than thought, as farmers in Texas and Wisconsin are reported to have symptoms of the virus but are avoiding testing.
Dr Barb Petersen, a dairy veterinarian in Amarillo, Texas, explained that workers at a local farm where cattle have tested positive for the virus are suffering tell-tale symptoms.
[...]
Meanwhile, veterinary researchers in Wisconsin — where the virus has infected cows — have reported multiple cases of local farmers suffering bird flu-like symptoms.
But farmers are notoriously reluctant to seek medical help, meaning ‘a lot of cases are not documented’, according to Dr Keith Poulsen, director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.
What are you referring to here?
We already have confirmation that it happened hundreds of times that people got infected with H5N1 from contact with animals (only 2 cases in the US so far, but one of them very recently). We can guess that there might be some percentage of unreported extra cases, but I’d expect that to be small because of the virus’s high mortality rate in its current form (and how much vigilance there is now).
So, I’m confused whether you’re referring to confirmed information with the word “rumors,” or whether there are rumors of some new development that’s meaningfully more concerning than what we already have confirmations of. (If so, I haven’t come across it – though “virus particles in milk” and things like that do seem concerning.)
in This Week in Virology, Vincent Racaniello says that he had visited Ohio farmers, and said that farm workers were getting specifically conjunctivitis rather than respiratory infections. He mentioned this really casually.
This Week in Virology TWiV 1108: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin
Also this:
From this opinion piece by Zeynep Tüfekçi in the NY Times: It’s not like there’s any at-scale human testing
However, I don’t think these cases are likely to lead to sustained human-to-human transmission, of it’s true that most have only conjunctivitis.
It’s in line with the one confirmed case, which only had conjunctivitis and no other symptoms: https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/p0401-avian-flu.html
It’s also in line with Fouchier et al., 2004
It spreading to pigs farms seems the biggest risk at the moment, and not unlikely.
More links:
April 22, Science:
April 29, Daily Mail:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-13363325/bird-flu-outbreak-humans-texas-farm-worker-sick.html
Btw, I don’t think the virus has a high mortality rate in its current form, based on these reported rumors