Avian Flu

aka bird flu, scary variation of The Flu, spreading through animals 2020-2024....

Influenza A/H5N1 was first isolated from a goose in China in 1996. Human infections were first reported in 1997 in Hong Kong.[10] Since 2003, more than 700 human cases of Asian HPAI H5N1 have been reported to the WHO, primarily from 15 countries in Asia, Africa, the Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East, though over 60 countries have been affected. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avian_influenza

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_mortality_from_H5N1

Since 2020, global outbreaks of avian influenza subtype H5N1 have been occuring, with cases reported from every continent as of April 2024 except for Australia.[1][2][3][4] In late 2023, H5N1 was discovered in the Antarctic for the first time, raising fears of imminent spread throughout the region, potentially leading to a "catastrophic breeding failure" among animals that had not previously been exposed to avian influenza viruses.[5] The main virus involved in the global outbreak is classified as H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b, however genetic diversification with other clades such as 2.3.2.1c has seen the virus evolve in ability to cause significant outbreaks in a broader range of species including mammals. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020%E2%80%932024_H5N1_outbreak

• The US CDC continues to report "widespread" occurrence in wild birds, "sporadic outbreaks" in poultry flocks, and "sporadic infections" as of March 2024.[38] As of March 8, 2024, the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) had recorded around 20 mammal species confirmed as being able to be infected by H5N1.[39] Also in March 2024, H5N1 was confirmed to have infected farmed goats and cows in the USA.[40][41] On April 2, a dairy worker in Texas became infected and strong indications of cow-to-cow spread were evident as cow herds in five different states became ill.
• Nov04'2024: CDC hasn't yet updated its chart today but nationally the number is creeping close to 50 so far this year.