Top in ID: Bird flu updates; WHO’s new definition of airborne transmission
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The outbreak of H5N1 in cattle has grown to include 36 herds, but recent testing has found that pasteurized milk and beef products appear to be safe for consumption, according to the FDA and U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Other updates on the ongoing H5N1 outbreak include a potential cow-to-human transmission in a dairy farm worker, which would be the first reported case of mammal-to-human H5N1 virus transmission worldwide, and evidence of fatal systemic influenza infection in domestic cats who were given unpasteurized colostrum and milk from affected cows. It was the top story in infectious disease last week.
In another top story, Healio spoke with an expert about WHO’s recently updated definition of what constitutes as an airborne pathogen.
“I think the new definition is sensible and it provides a very believable and unambiguous way to identify airborne transmission,” Mark Reeves, PhD, a professor of physics at George Washington University, said. “People are conditioned by now to accept that that is a legitimate way to get a disease, and so it will make it easier to first identify a transmission path that was controversial — in the case of COVID — and begin to put measures in place in an emergency situation.”
Read these and more top stories in infectious diseases below:
Bird flu updates: Milk, beef appear safe; new details of human case
The FDA and U.S. Department of Agriculture said that pasteurized milk and beef products appear safe for consumption based on testing conducted after traces of avian influenza were found in pasteurized milk. Read more.
Q&A: WHO updates definition of airborne transmission
WHO recently updated its definition of airborne transmission, expanding the list of pathogens that can be spread through the air. Read more.
Colorado prevented measles outbreak from infected traveler
A CDC investigator described how Colorado was able to prevent a measles outbreak after identifying an infected traveler who passed through the Denver airport, a children’s hospital and a community gathering while infectious. Read more.
Global measles cases nearly doubled in a year
The number of global measles cases nearly doubled in 1 year after a decline in vaccine coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to experts. Read more.
Algorithm-driven alerts help identify best antibiotic for patients with pneumonia, UTI
Two studies assessing the use of algorithm-driven prompts meant to improve antibiotic selection for patients hospitalized with pneumonia or UTIs showed the prompts were effective, researchers found. Read more.