Quote:A goat kid in Stevens County, Minnesota, has tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), marking the first case in the United States of bird flu in a domestic ruminant.



The Minnesota Board of Animal Health announced Wednesday the juvenile goat residing on a farm with HPAI-positive poultry also tested positive for the same virus. This is the first U.S. detection in cattle, sheep, goat or their relatives.





"This finding is significant because, while the spring migration is definitely a higher risk transmission period for poultry, it highlights the possibility of the virus infecting other animals on farms with multiple species," State Veterinarian Dr. Brian Hoefs said. "Thankfully, research to-date has shown mammals appear to be dead-end hosts, which means they’re unlikely to spread HPAI further."





The Board of Animal Health says all the poultry on the farm were already quarantined after HPAI was detected in February. Following the confirmation of HPAI in the goat, the Board of Animal Health quarantined all other animals at the farm.




The Board of Animal Health is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to investigate the virus' transmission.


Health officials note the risk to the public is "extremely low" and any risk of infection is limited to those who have direct contact with infected animals. No humans in the U.S. have gotten sick after having contact with mammals infected with bird flu, the Board of Animal Health says.



The Minnesota Department of Health has recommendations for personal protective equipment and is monitoring the health of those who have had direct contact with the infected goats.


Anyone who develops respiratory or gastrointestinal symptoms after exposure to the goats may be voluntarily tested for avian influenza and other respiratory pathogens, the release said.

Quote:Japan confirms first human-to-human transmission of tick-borne SFTS virus

The National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID) said it has confirmed the first instance of human-to-human transmission of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) in Japan.

The viral infection, transmitted by ticks, was passed from a patient to their attending physician.

According to the NIID, the doctor, a man in his 20s, was attending to a patient in his 90s who had been diagnosed with SFTS after turning up at the emergency room last April due to deteriorating health. The doctor carried out various procedures on the patient who later died, including removing his catheter post-mortem. While the doctor wore a mask and gloves during the procedure, he reportedly did not wear goggles.

Approximately nine days following the patient's death, the doctor developed symptoms of fever and headache, and was diagnosed with SFTS upon medical examination.

Genetic analysis of both the doctor's and the patient's viral strains revealed identical sequences, confirming human-to-human transmission.

While cases of human-to-human transmission of SFTS have been previously documented in China and South Korea, this marks the first such instance in Japan.

In response, the NIID has reminded medical personnel the importance of adhering to thorough infection-control measures, including the use of face shields to protect against potential blood splatter from patients.