Are we at the edge of another pandemic? H5N1

Post Reply New Topic

Another species has H5N1 and it is getting very, very close to H1N1 (called the Spanish Flu during WWI). It is now showing up in horses.
When Soldiers went into battle during the First World War, horses played a major role in the battlefield.

Study shows horses have been infected with avian flu in Asia and that infections have been occurring unnoticed

A new study has shown that horses have been infected with H5N1—avian flu—in Asia and that infections have been occurring in horses undetected.

The latest research, led by the MRC-University of Glasgow Center for Virus Research in collaboration with an international team of scientists, including groups from the U.S. and Mongolia, comes as the recent emergence and rapid spread of avian flu in cows in the U.S. has raised concerns for wider viral spread.

To carry out this study, the research team undertook a series of H5N1 antibody tests in horse herds in two Mongolian regions: the first, a wetland area which hosts a large population of wild birds, and the second, a dry area with low bird density.

The results, which are published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, show conclusively that horses have been infected with avian flu. The researchers found that horses had been infected with the virus in a number of different areas of Mongolia over multiple years.

Importantly, there were no prior reports of outbreaks of respiratory disease in the herds studied, suggesting the animals that tested positive for H5N1 antibodies may have experienced asymptomatic infections.



One estimate puts the number of horses that served in World War I at around six million, with a large percentage of them dying due to war-related causes.

There is an old saying that applies to the great pandemic that is almost upon us. This saying has been said in many ways.

Edmund Burke (1729-1797) with his statement, "Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it."

So the world suffered a great pandemic that almost destroyed the world. It happened during World War One. Millions died around the world during 1918 and 1919 from a great plague.

From 1918 to 1919, the Spanish flu infected an estimated 500 million people globally. This amounted to about 33% of the world's population at the time. In addition, the Spanish flu killed about 50 million people. Since the world population has grown around 5 times in the last 100 years. The threat might impact 2.5 billion people should it materialize today.

The Spanish Flu has been analyzed over the years and is now known as H1N1. [World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Central Powers.] A World War was afoot and soldiers became the plague carriers along with horses that went into the battlefield. Many infected soldiers and horses died in the battle and their corpses were left to rot on the ground. H1N1 was spread by the insects that feed upon the corpses. The real transmission agent were mosquitoes and others insects that feed off the dead and became infected and spread the plague.

So a deadly disease has appeared. It is called H5N1 Avian Flu, Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. We are at the edge of a major pandemic. It is traveling through many bird species, animal species and even appeared in humans. It has found a home in chickens and cows. It has even recently appeared in pigs and horses.

So this plague is on the move. It is moving up the various species of lifeforms on the planet. It is moving very quickly and can change. H5N1 can become H1N1 along its route.

Today, the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) announced the state's first presumptive human H5N1 highly pathogenic avian flu case. The patient, a resident of southwestern Louisiana who was exposed to sick and dead birds with suspected infection, has been hospitalized.

Also today, the California Department of Public Health reported another probable human case of H5N1 in a dairy farm worker, raising the state's total to 34, all but 1 in people with occupational exposure. The sample tested positive at a local lab, but confirmatory testing at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was negative.

Source, Louisiana reports its first probable human H5N1 case as California logs another

The number of human cases of Bird Flu keeps rising. An article today reports the number to be 60.

About 60 cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza, also known as H5N1, have been recorded across the country. A majority of the cases are linked to exposure to infected poultry or dairy cows.

Source: State's first human case of H5N1 avian flu identified in southwestern Louisiana

Last edited by jimmy m on 14 Dec 2024, 2:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.

H5N1 is crossing many different animal species. One of the species effected is CATS.

Neurological impact of the virus in cats

The study revealed severe neurological damage in infected cats, with prominent lesions in the cerebellum and hippocampus. Key findings include:

-- Neuronal necrosis: Death of nerve cells in critical brain regions.
-- Gliosis: Proliferation of glial cells in response to injury.
-- Perivascular inflammation: Immune responses surrounding blood vessels in the brain.
-- High viral antigen concentrations: Predominantly found in the cerebellum and hippocampus.

The viral burden in the brain far exceeded that observed in respiratory tissues, promoting the virus’s neurotropic tendencies.

Cats demonstrated co-expression of sialic acid receptors in their lung and brain tissues, compatible with both avian and human influenza viruses.

This receptor compatibility could enable cross-species transmission and highlights the risks of domestic cats acting as potential bridges for virus adaptation.

Source: Bird flu outbreak in domestic cats raises new concerns

I tend to think that the main threat is not H5N1 but rather an ability to transform into H1N1. So what does science tell us about H1N1 outbreaks? This virus was also know as Swine Flu because it was found in Pigs.

2009 H1N1 Pandemic (H1N1pdm09 virus)

In the spring of 2009, a novel influenza A (H1N1) virus emerged. It was detected first in the United States and spread quickly across the United States and the world. This new H1N1 virus contained a unique combination of influenza genes not previously identified in animals or people. This virus was designated as influenza A (H1N1)pdm09 virus.

The (H1N1)pdm09 virus was very different from H1N1 viruses that were circulating at the time of the pandemic. Few young people had any existing immunity (as detected by antibody response) to the (H1N1)pdm09 virus, but nearly one-third of people over 60 years old had antibodies against this virus, likely from exposure to an older H1N1 virus earlier in their lives. Since the (H1N1)pdm09 virus was very different from circulating H1N1 viruses, vaccination with seasonal flu vaccines offered little cross-protection against (H1N1)pdm09 virus infection. While a monovalent (H1N1)pdm09 vaccine was produced, it was not available in large quantities until late November—after the peak of illness during the second wave had come and gone in the United States. From April 12, 2009 to April 10, 2010, CDC estimated there were ~60.8 million cases, ~274,304 hospitalizations, and ~12,469 deaths in the United States due to the (H1N1)pdm09 virus.

Additionally, CDC estimated that 151,700-575,400 people worldwide died from (H1N1)pdm09 virus infection during the first year the virus circulated. Globally, 80 percent of (H1N1)pdm09 virus-related deaths were estimated to have occurred in people younger than 65 years of age.

This virus in my humble opinion attacks the young, the strong, the most immune resistant in our society. It is like the opposite of COVID. The healthy die and the old and weak survive. This is because with H1N1, the body thinks it is under attack and uses all its immune resources to bear to counteract the virus. This process takes a couple weeks of immense internal battle, but then the human body finally self explodes into the destruction of hundreds of cell damage across the entire human body. And then death comes very quickly after that.

One More Thing.................

In the battle against H5N1 or H1N1, there may be one other trait that must be discussed. It may have one other similarity to COVID. I never got COVID nor did my wife nor most of my children and grandchildren. I understood how to protect myself and followed a 3 step plan to protect us and it worked. In the beginning of the COVID pandemic in the U.S. there was a research study that added some very useful information. You could breath in one COVID cell and survive, or two COVID cells and survive, etc. But there was a magic point where your body became overloaded. The number was around 50. So if you limited you exposure by purifying the air you breath, wearing the appropriate masks, and controlling indoor air humidity levels, you could avoid COVID.

So perhaps this same knowledge might also come to play in H5N1 or H1N1. If you can control the number of infections, then maybe one could avoid this diseases. In other words, limit the number of insect bits at any given period, and your body will be able to build up its natural immune response.

I came across this perceptive from my niece who lives on a small island off the coast of England, the Isle of Man. She and her husband moved there a few years ago and now calls it home. But they are world traveler. And spend time in countries closer to the equator. She said that in these climates, it is very common to get insect bites, hundreds of insect bites at once from a variety of different insects. So perhaps, H5N1 or H1N1 may be more endemic in equatorial regions of the globe.

That would explain why some people became infected with the Spanish Flu and died and some survived. It would also explain why soldiers fighting on the battlefield in the worst environmental conditions were susceptible to the plague during the First World War. More American soldiers died from the Spanish Flu (H1N1) then killed in combat.

People are becoming aware of the threat from this pandemic. It is having an explosive effect on birds and animals. It is now visible in the prices of eggs and butter.

At the height of the holiday baking season there’s an unwelcome surprise at the supermarket this year: the price of eggs. They are up — way up over this time last year. In November 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported an average price of about $2.14 for a dozen eggs. Twelve months later, the price is about 70 percent (or $1.50) higher a dozen.

In fact, over the last three years H5N1 Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu or Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), has forced the culling of nearly a hundred million chickens in the U.S. In the last month alone, California farmers have culled more than 8 million birds potentially infected with H5N1.

Source: Blame bird flu: Egg prices soaring again

Off Topic Discussion............

I remember a saying from an old 1905 book, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
So although my focus is H5N1/H1N1 virus. A major outbreak of H1N1 occurred towards the end of the First World War killing millions of people from the Spanish Flu.
But my next thought was what happened next. What happened after WWI. It was a time called the Roaring Twenties which ended in 1929. The Wall Street Crash of 1929 ended the era, as the Great Depression brought years of hardship worldwide.

Bird Flu is on the move.

The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 bird flu strain has “spilled over into wildlife” to infect over 500 species and at least 70 mammalian species, the United Nations has said.

Source: More than 500 species infected, 300 billion birds dead due to avian flu H5N1

Virus increasingly spreading, breaking species barriers, UN health officials warn. The virus has established its presence in 108 countries, across five continents. It not spared even the endangered California condor and polar bears, the UN said in an update on the mutating virus. Bird flu was found to have infected gentoo and King penguins in Antarctica in January this year.

Seventy six people have been infected with the H5 avian influenza strain in 2024, and most were farm workers, the UN statement said.

Maria Van Kerkhove, director of Epidemic and Pandemic Threat Management for the WHO, said based on the latest science, “We assess the risk of infection for the public is currently low.” But then she warned that the situation can change quickly. “As the virus is evolving, we must be prepared for such a scenario,”

Bird Flu is striking in birds and animals in England.

Norfolk now has eight of the 11 recently confirmed cases of bird flu in England. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus was detected at a farm near Attleborough, and at a premises near Watton. Since the start of the week, cases of bird flu have also been confirmed in captive birds in Cranworth, close to Watton, Attleborough and Gayton.

On Friday, Defra announced Norfolk, Suffolk, Lincolnshire and parts of Yorkshire had been made subject to an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ), to mitigate the risk of further outbreaks.

Source: Norfolk has eight of England's 11 bird flu cases

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed the first case of severe bird flu in the United States.
The federal health agency said Wednesday that the patient has been hospitalized in Louisiana.

Genomic data showed the Louisiana patient was infected with a version of the virus recently found to be spreading in wild birds and poultry in the U.S., as well as found in some human cases in Canada and Washington state, according to the CDC.

Source: CDC confirms 1st case of severe bird flu in U.S.

Another article provided some additional information.

According to the CDC, the patient was exposed to sick and dead birds in backyard flocks. Genetic sequencing revealed that the H5N1 virus in the patient belonged to the D1.1 genotype. The D1.1 genotype differs from the B3.13 genotype, which has been identified in dairy cows, some poultry outbreaks, and human cases with mild symptoms such as conjunctivitis.

U.S. confirms first severe human case of bird flu

Last edited by jimmy m on 18 Dec 2024, 12:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.

A couple very deadly cases of H5N6 occurred in China this year.

Source: China CDC Weekly: Infection Tracing and Virus Genomic Analysis of Two Cases of Human Infection with Avian Influenza A(H5N6) — Fujian Province, China

In June of this year, in WHO WPRO Reports 2nd H5N6 Case In Fujian, China In 2024, we learned of two fatal H5N6 infections, both hailing from Fujian Province, China, and which occurred within a few weeks of each other.

The two cases, it is now revealed, both resided in Quanzhou City, Fujian Province, China. The first fell ill on April 13th, and the second on May 9th. They lived less than 20 miles apart, and both were treated in the same hospital.

The article identifies 92 cases across China since 2014. All these cases (except one) were located in the southern regions of China. A very detailed map of these cases is provided in the article.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom declares state of emergency over bird flu, calling it a "proactive action"

H5N1 is on the move. It has destroyed millions of birds. Around 500 species of birds globally have been struck by H5N1. Even chickens have become infected and 100 million chickens have been culled (killed) in the U.S. in the last 3 years. I live in the country and many of my neighbors raise a few chickens. They have noticed something strange going on with their chickens. The neighbor's chickens have stopped growing eggs. They have allowed their bodies to go dormant.

H5N1 in the couple years begun to spread across animal species. In 2024, H5N1 has spread across 70 mammal species globally. H5N1 is now in 108 countries in 5 continents around the globe. It is in cows and in mice and in cats. Many mammal species are under attack. I have a cat. It was given to me as a gift. It is an old cat and I have not named it because it is a fraidy-cat. About a year ago, I noticed that my cat stopped hunting mice. I set up traps and fed him dead mice but he refused to eat them. Something strange began last month. The cat stopped drinking milk. H5N1 can survive in unpasteurized milk. Perhaps my cat is a little smarter then what I have given him credit for. Perhaps being a little afraid is a good thing.

Around 6 months ago, (29 Jun 2024, 8:50 pm on this thread) I began saying that California was Ground Zero in the H5N1 epidemic.

On 1 July 2024 on this thread I wrote:

So perhaps we are at a point of explosion. The world is about to explode into a frenzy. This new pandemic which is following the same track as the last one COVID is about to strike. H5N1 is a very different virus. It is transmitted primarily from infected blood through insect (primarily mosquitoes) to people. It cause the body to believe it is being attacked so the body responds by pulling out all the power it has in our system to fight this ghost threat. And in the pathway, the human body begins to break down. Within days of becoming infected by insect bite transmission, the human body has reached a breaking point and DEATH process begins. This is a very deadly disease. Around a 50 percent mortality rate for those who become infected with this strain of H5N1.

If this is the case, it appears that the San Francisco Bay Area in California is ground zero. H5N1 is showing up in wastewater in this area and the cause is different then other parts of the U.S. But this is just the beginning of the pandemic. It will explode across the U.S. and the entire world. The failure is that we are not testing this population of vulnerable humans for H5N1 at this time. We have the technology to perform this but our leaders are ignoring this very deadly threat. Begin to test the people in the homeless camps in the San Francisco Bay area for H5N1 and then check the other homeless camps around the U.S. Prove me wrong, I dare you, I double dare you.