Avian Influenza Strain (H5N8) May Now Spread to Humans? Breaking News from Russia.

H5N8 is an Influenza A virus (1). Influenza A viruses are highly pathogenic (2) which means they can cause high mortality and severe disease in poultry. This particular lineage (H5N8) has been found in nations across the world including (but not limited to): China, Germany, Japan, Italy, South Korea, the UK, and occasionally Canada and the U.S. (2).

When the H5N8 strand was examined by the Centers for Disease Control in 2014, it was determined to have a low-intermediate risk of being able to spread to humans from poultry and a low-intermediate risk to significantly impact public health (if it managed to be able to spread among people). At the time, there were no documented cases of the H5N8 Influenza A virus spreading to humans.

On October 31st, 2017, Russian scientists confirmed the possibility of an asymptomatic H5N8 human infection (1). The good news its that a  Russian government ministry on human well-being (Rospotrebnadzor) assured that they examined people who were in close contact with the infected birds, and these individuals had antibodies to the virus in their blood sera.

Nevertheless, the virus has never spread worldwide, and based on the information we collectively have on Influenza A strains, there may be minimal immunity.

Preventive measures against infection include avoiding exposure to infected birds, thorough handw washing, and good hygiene practices (1). For people who work with poultry, annual vaccinations, hand washing, and the use of personal protective equipment is highly recommended to prevent infection (4).

-EM

References:
1. http://www.promedmail.org/
2. http://www.who.int/influenza/human_animal_interface/avian_influenza/riskassessment_AH5N8_201611/en/
3. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/influenza-a-virus-subtypes.htm
4. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/prevention.htm