Fri 01 September 2023:
Officials in Argentina announced Tuesday that scores of sea lions had died from bird flu, as an unprecedented global outbreak continues to kill wildlife, prompting fears that it could spread more easily among humans.
Authorities have asked the population to avoid beaches along Argentina’s roughly 5,000-kilometer (3,100-mile) coastline where cases have been reported.
The H5N1 bird flu has typically been confined to seasonal outbreaks, but since 2021 cases have emerged year-round, and across the globe, leading to what experts say is the largest outbreak ever seen.
Hundreds of sea lions- marine mammals like seals and walruses- were reported dead in Peru earlier this year as the virus ravaged bird populations across South America. The H5N1 bird flu has typically been confined to seasonal outbreaks but since 2021 cases has emerged year-round leading to what experts say is the largest outbreak ever seen.
Although there is no treatment for bird flu which spreads between wild birds and can also infect domestic poultry. The viruses do not typically infect humans, although there have been rare cases.
Several mammal species, including minks and cats, have been afflicted by the pandemic. In July, the World Health Organization cautioned that this could aid the virus’s ability to infect humans more easily.
“Some mammals may act as mixing vessels for influenza viruses, leading to the emergence of new viruses that could be more harmful to animals and humans,” the WHO said.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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