Bird flu hits 48 percent fatality rate in humans

The Pan American Health Organization reports another human death from 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 were 990 patients and 475 deaths in 25 countries, for a mortality rate of 48 percent.

Health experts fear more people could be infected as the virus continues to mutate and spread to mammals around the world. The high mortality rate is also a major concern.

The virus has been found to live for weeks in raw milk and for months in raw milk cheese.

“In recent years, there has been an increase in the detection of A(H5N1) virus in non-avian species worldwide, including terrestrial and marine, wild and domestic (pet and production) mammals,” the Pan American Health Organization report said.

Meanwhile, the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) reported dozens of new detections of avian flu in wild waterfowl flocks in several states. The virus passes easily from wild birds to domestic flocks, as well as dairy cattle.

APHIS announced identifications of H5N1 avian influenza in several states, including in mallards in New Hampshire; black vultures of Indiana, Kentucky, Utah and West Virginia; Canada geese and a turkey vulture in Utah; a bald eagle and a mallard duck in Wisconsin; and an unidentified type of goose in Washington state.

H5N1 has also been found in four different species in Montana; green- and blue-winged teal and a mallard in Oregon; Canada geese in Arizona and Illinois; seven species in Minnesota; an unidentified type of duck in Texas; and green-winged and blue-winged teal in Wyoming.

In total, 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 poultry have been culled in an attempt to slow the spread of the disease.

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