Following H5N1, pandemics, our response, & the response environment, since Qinghai in 2005. Enjoying afternoon tea until civilization falls.
Joined August 2012
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#H5N1
Captive carnivores usually become infected via H5N1-contaminated meat.
Tigers in zoos, minks on farms.
followup from my post from yesterday, Martha Nelson's lab has done an analysis of the mink H5N1 virus sequences. The closest sequences appear to be from Texas dairy cows from early in 2026 but how those viruses got to Utah mink farms is a mystery: virological.org/t/preliminar…
K-in-CT 😷😷😷 retweeted
Well, mink are obviously carnivores and need to be fed copious cheap meat...
followup from my post from yesterday, Martha Nelson's lab has done an analysis of the mink H5N1 virus sequences. The closest sequences appear to be from Texas dairy cows from early in 2026 but how those viruses got to Utah mink farms is a mystery: virological.org/t/preliminar…
K-in-CT 😷😷😷 retweeted
“People here were just dying everywhere before the epidemic was even announced,” he said, pointing up a winding alleyway. “On this street alone, more than 80 people died in a few weeks. Now there is almost nobody left; they have all died or fled.” nytimes.com/2026/10/23/world…
#Ebola
Ok, ok, Uganda 🇺🇬 But I’d like to see the same energy devoted to finding out what the heck just happened. Because it wasn’t supposed to happen.
#QUOTE: “I would like to re-emphasise to all Ugandans and the International
Community that as of today, 25th, October, 2026, Uganda remains Ebola-free.”
Hon. Dr. Chris Baryomunsi
Minister of Health
📸 @UgandaMediaCent
#ebola
🇳🇬Nigeria gets ready: 👍
URGENT DIRECTIVE ON EBOLA PREPAREDNESS AND PROTECTION OF FRONTLINE RESIDENT
DOCTORS
@mohagirei @Fmohnigeria @NCDCgov @nard_nigeria
K-in-CT 😷😷😷 retweeted
“In a better-prepared world, vaccines against known threats would be developed in advance and held ready for outbreaks, he said. ‘We’re not there yet.’”
bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
K-in-CT 😷😷😷 retweeted
“ Since September, Florida’s total reported dengue cases have almost doubled from 392 to 721” washingtonpost.com/nation/20…
K-in-CT 😷😷😷 retweeted
2026 H5N1 human seq (B3.13)
generated considerable interest in H5N1 evolution
The number of defined genotypes has grown considerably.
D.1.1 generated considerable interest in 2024
key mutations identified in more severe human seqs
D1.1 goes to D1.15 now
D1.8 common in wild birds
#measles
Yet another consequence of just terribly poor public health leadership at the very top.
This is all new, and due directly to them. We had eradicated measles in this country.
"[The hospitalized adult patients in Pennsylvania] are weak and disoriented with meningitis, sepsis or pneumonia.
Some have bacterial infections in their blood, kidney failure or hepatitis..
Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak is defying epidemiologists’ expectations and historical trends: Adults account for about two-thirds of the 1,300 cases reported by the state..
Until now, measles was rarely seen among adults..
Pennsylvania’s outbreak is also sending people to the hospital at almost twice the rate seen in other recent outbreaks.
Six people diagnosed with measles — four of them adults — have died, according to state health officials and local coroners.
An infant, born with the disease after his mother was sick during pregnancy, was among the deaths..
The toll showcases how adults over age 20 are among the groups at greatest risk for serious complications..
Children under 5 and people with compromised immune systems are also at high risk for severe illness.."
I believe the number of immunocompromized adults is increasing.
'Measles is thought of as a childhood illness, but more Pennsylvania adults are getting sick'
thetimes-tribune.com/2026/10…
K-in-CT 😷😷😷 retweeted
In 2024, I investigated why Biden Admin had slow-walked response to #H5N1 outbreak in dairy cows. The answer: @USDA let farmers not test cows, at dairy lobby's behest.
vanityfair.com/news/story/in…
Strong 🧵on evolution of H5N1 risks: "This should have ended 2 years ago." 👇
There is something really concerning (and disappointing) going on in the US right now.
A dangerous and preventable situation.
Let me explain.
nextstrain.org/avian-flu/h5n…
1/
What happened in January, 2025?
Something, something… 🤔🤔🤔
I’ve been tirelessly posting about H5N1 since the first case was reported in an American human in 2022, in an incarcerated individual forced to cull infected flocks. I watched as the UK reported asymptomatic human cases then shut down the program testing for them. I’ve watched as six Missouri healthcare workers develop H5N1 symptoms after contact with an H5N1 patient. I’ve watched as American CHILDREN tested positive with no known source.
I’ve made huge threads about all the mammals & marine mammals H5N1 has blown through as governments & the public ignored it. When it found its way into mice & rats in 2024, experts said the situation was “out of control.” That was almost 3 years ago. The U.S. reported 70 human cases & 1 death by January 2025, & then nothing until now. It will consume us, & our wounds are self-inflicted. I’m sorry.
K-in-CT 😷😷😷 retweeted
PB1: K388R
This (conservative) mutation in Utah B3.13 mink outbreak looks somehow functional in mink passage of H5N1, given it also appeared in the 2022 Galician mink-farm episode?
Some history in swine H1N1
But not a five-alarm change
Nice paper ⬇️
virological.org/t/preliminar…
#H5N1
➡️ Illinois: Nearly 1 Million Chickens Slaughtered at Second-Largest Egg-Producing Farm in the U.S. amid Bird Flu Outbreak
- There is no treatment available for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), so infected and exposed birds must be killed to contain the virus
Nearly 1 million chickens have been slaughtered amid the largest active bird flu outbreak in the United States.
- The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed earlier this month that the outbreak affected ➡️ 934,600 animals at a commercial table egg layer facility in Clinton County, Ill.
- Village officials told KSDK the outbreak took place at ➡️ Rose Acre Farms, located outside Germantown. Rose Acre Farms, according to the company’s website, is ➡️ the second-largest egg producer in the country. (Cal-Maine Foods Ridgeland, Miss. holds the top spot.)
- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) [have] confirmed the detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Commercial Table Egg Layer,” said the USDA.
- There is no treatment available for HPAI, so infected and exposed birds must be killed to contain the virus.
- According to the USDA, the H5N1 strain of HPAI “is present in wild birds worldwide and is causing outbreaks in U.S. domestic birds and dairy cattle.”
- The health organization said “many other species are also susceptible to this virus,” and the USDA added that the H5N1 strain of HPAI is “a major threat to the poultry industry, animal health, trade and the economy worldwide.”
- Caused by influenza type A viruses, the HPAI strains can wipe out entire flocks of chickens in days. Low pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) strains, meanwhile, cause few or no signs of illness, and they occur naturally in birds around the world. (Still, some LPAI strains can become highly pathogenic in poultry, per the USDA.)
- The viruses rarely infect humans, but most cases in the United States have been mild and affected individuals who had known exposure to sick or infected animals, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- Mild signs and symptoms of bird flu in people include eye redness and irritation, mild fever, cough, a sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches and fatigue, according to the CDC.
By Nicholas Rice
people.com/nearly-1-million-…
K-in-CT 😷😷😷 retweeted
Nigeria's only confirmed Ebola patient has arrived safely in Zurich, Switzerland, on a Rega medical evacuation flight today. The patient has been admitted to a special isolation unit at University Hospital Zurich.
#H5N1
The U.S. is not under control.
K-in-CT 😷😷😷 retweeted
Earlier this morning, the Ebola patient in Nigeria and her contact, who is also her husband, were medically evacuated to Switzerland.
The reasons for the evacuation are:
✅ Both the patient and her husband are Swiss citizens.
✅ The patient is clinically stable. The Nigerian medical team successfully managed her through the acute phase of the illness and stabilized her condition.
On behalf of WHO and all partners, I warmly congratulate the Government of Nigeria, health workers, clinicians, emergency responders and all those involved in the response. This is a remarkable achievement and a testament to what Africa can accomplish when we work together.
With the evacuation of the patient and her husband, Nigeria currently has no Ebola cases.
However, vigilance remains critical. Nigeria will continue the close follow-up of 52 contacts, while Switzerland will assume responsibility for the continued management of the patient and the follow-up of contact number 53, her husband.
Congratulations once again to everyone involved. This is a proud moment demonstrating African expertise, resilience, and leadership in public health.
----------------------------
Ce matin, la patiente atteinte d’Ebola au Nigéria et son contact, qui est également son époux, ont été évacués médicalement vers la Suisse.
Les raisons de cette évacuation sont les suivantes :
✅ La patiente et son mari sont tous deux citoyens suisses.
✅ La patiente est cliniquement stable. L’équipe médicale nigériane a réussi à la prendre en charge durant la phase aiguë de la maladie et à stabiliser son état.
Au nom de l’OMS et de tous les partenaires, je félicite chaleureusement le Gouvernement du Nigéria, les agents de santé, les cliniciens, les intervenants d’urgence et toutes les personnes impliquées dans la réponse. C’est une réalisation remarquable et une preuve de ce que l’Afrique peut accomplir lorsque nous travaillons ensemble.
Avec l’évacuation de la patiente et de son mari, le Nigéria ne compte actuellement plus de cas d’Ebola.
Cependant, la vigilance reste essentielle. Le Nigéria poursuivra le suivi rapproché de 52 contacts, tandis que la Suisse assurera la prise en charge continue de la patiente et le suivi du 53ᵉ contact, son mari.
Félicitations encore à toutes celles et ceux qui ont contribué à cette réussite. Ce moment est une fierté, démontrant l’expertise, la résilience et le leadership africains en santé publique.
----------------------------
Hoje de manhã, a paciente com doença pelo vírus Ebola na Nigéria e o seu contacto, que é também o seu marido, foram evacuados por via médica para a Suíça.
A evacuação deve-se aos seguintes motivos:
✅ Tanto a paciente como o seu marido são cidadãos suíços.
✅ A paciente encontra-se clinicamente estável. A equipa médica nigeriana conseguiu prestar-lhe cuidados durante a fase aguda da doença e estabilizar o seu estado de saúde.
Em nome da OMS e de todos os parceiros, felicito calorosamente o Governo da Nigéria, os profissionais de saúde, os clínicos, as equipas de resposta a emergências e todas as pessoas envolvidas na resposta. Esta é uma conquista notável e uma prova do que África pode alcançar quando trabalhamos em conjunto.
Com a evacuação da paciente e do seu marido, a Nigéria não tem atualmente nenhum caso de doença pelo vírus Ebola.
No entanto, é fundamental manter a vigilância. A Nigéria continuará a acompanhar de perto 52 contactos, enquanto a Suíça assumirá a responsabilidade pela continuidade dos cuidados à paciente e pelo acompanhamento do contacto número 53, o seu marido.
Mais uma vez, felicito todas as pessoas envolvidas. Este é um momento de orgulho que demonstra a competência, a resiliência e a liderança de África no domínio da saúde pública.
I Confirm that, with my approval, earlier this morning, the index case for Nigeria’s first imported Ebola virus disease departed Abuja for Switzerland. The index patient was clinically much improved, stable, conscious, communicating, and her clinical laboratory test results closing towards baseline. This does not mean she is not still infectious, hence the strict protocols in place.
The patient was evacuated along with her spouse who has remained asymptomatic.
I thank all the various clinical staff for the high quality care they provided the patient as well as the public health personnel who ensured the evacuation was carried out in line with best public health measures for such evacuations.
We will provide further updates later this afternoon after the patient and her spouse lands successfully in their destination.
All public health measures are continuing to ensure successful containment of the imported virus. I urge Nigerians to remain vigilant and rely on information from credible sources.