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The threat of bird flu can directly affect food security, directly affecting farms and migrant farm workers, the latter being those who present a greater risk, which is why experts call for being alert and taking precautions in response to calls from health authorities.
In addition to bird flu, COVID variants are a topic that has not stopped alerting specialists; the new FLiRT variant is presented as the most mutated, which is why they predict a new wave of the disease in the summer.
Dr. Maurice Pitesky, an associate professor specializing in highly pathogenic avian influenza modeling at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, explained that influenza is most prevalent in ducks.
“Ducks and birds travel thousands of miles and in the summer when they are in the Arctic, which is when they reproduce, is the time when all the birds start to get infected, then different versions of avian influenza emerge, that is how you have these unique combinations,” said the expert during a press conference held by Ethnic Media Services.
What happens, he explained, is that these travelling birds come into contact with domesticated animals such as chickens and hens, which leads to a combination of viruses.
"For example, we can have infected aquatic birds and when they defecate, they expel these viruses, but it is also transmitted through the respiratory system and they may expel something from their beaks and, if it comes into contact with something domesticated, it can be infected there.", added the professor Pitesky.
The epidemiologist of poultry health and food safety also said that the most affected population groups are immigrants, since many of them work on farms and are therefore in direct contact and are at greater risk, despite having protective equipment.
Finally, he commented that more and new options must be sought to ensure control of viruses that affect animals, especially birds, since chicken is a food available to many due to its low cost and accessibility, so having a shortage would directly affect food security, which is very important for global stability.
Dr. Peter Chin Hong, professor of medicine and associate dean for Regional Campuses at the UCSF School of Medicine, said there have been 880 human cases of bird flu, of which 50 percent have been fatal; there have also been many cases in cows and many more are expected. "It's no longer a question of whether it will happen or not, but when it will happen.”, he pointed out.
There have been two fatal cases in Texas and there are more to come, as there is no way to prevent infections 100 percent. In light of this, authorities are preparing to be ready with tests, medications, vaccines and much more to avoid regrettable losses.
Chin Hong explained that there is no complete record of infections, since many agricultural workers are immigrants and, for fear of being reported, do not seek help; in this way, if many cases are detected, farms or ranches could be closed, which would affect the economy of these places, so some avoid this.
Dr. Benjamin Neuman, professor of biology and chief virologist at the Global Health Research Complex at Texas A&M University, spoke about COVID and the Omicron variant and its current subvariants, which disappeared and appeared in different spaces, “the advantage we have is that today we have the ability to predict.”
He commented that the characteristics of the new strain can be predicted with only sequence information, as well as how much this virus can grow and how it can evade immunity, among other capabilities that allow preparation.
The KP.2 or FliRT variant of COVID, he pointed out, is not as apt to adapt to human cells, unlike previous variants, however, these have many mutations never seen before, with large and competitive growth, so it has high human resistance, so the vaccine does not provide a guarantee.
Neuman commented that these viruses are dangerous unlike a normal flu, since the latter “comes and goes along the same path,” but the new viruses can move to other parts of the body, generating strange symptoms and infections in various parts that are not common, and that is where they become fatal cases.
Experts agreed that, although bird flu does not have the characteristics to become a pandemic, one must "be open to the possibilities," since it depends on how the virus behaves in the global community, how much it can be contained, and the measures to mitigate the disease.
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