Avian Flu Strain Transmissible to Humans Reappears on a US Farm

“Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H7N9 from the North American strain associated with wild birds was detected in a commercial broiler breeder flock in Mississippi,” in Noxubee County, the agency said in a report. The tests were confirmed last week. The last detection of this strain in the United States dates back to August 2017. Another strain, H5N9, was also identified for the first time in the country in late January. More than 47,600 chickens have been euthanized at the affected farm, the Paris-based organization said. The H5N1 and H7N9 strains, detected in 1997 and 2013 respectively, have been primarily responsible for human cases of avian flu, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The H7N9 strain can cause severe respiratory problems. Between 2013 and 2021, the H7N9 virus infected 1,668 people and caused 616 deaths, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The United States is already facing a ...