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New Bird Flu Virus Kills 162 Baby Seals Off Northeast US Coast
the daily dish
WASHINGTON, July 31, 2012 (AFP) - A new kind of bird flu has been causing deadly pneumonia in baby seals off the northeastern US coast and could pose a risk to humans, according to US research released Tuesday.
The new strain has been named avian H3N8, and is blamed for the deaths of 162 seals along the US coastlines last year, said the study in mBio, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology. Most of the dead seals were younger than six months of age.
While there have been no known human cases to date, scientists at Columbia University in New York urged caution, given the history of bird flu and its ability to evolve into forms that can infect people, like H5N1.
"Our findings reinforce the importance of wildlife surveillance in predicting and preventing pandemics," said W. Ian Lipkin, professor of epidemiology at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. "HIV/AIDS, SARS, West Nile, Nipah and influenza are all examples of
emerging infectious diseases that originated in animals," Lipkin added. "Any outbreak of disease in domestic animals or wildlife, while an immediate threat to wildlife conservation, must also be considered potentially hazardous to humans."
RELATED: 15 Diseases That Can Affect You And Your Pet
Scientists sequenced the full genome of the new strain and found it originated from a bird flu virus that had been circulating in North American waterfowl since 2002. Over time, the virus gained the ability to infect mammals by latching on to receptors in their respiratory tracts.
Wildlife experts first grew alarmed in September 2011 when an increasing number of seals from the coasts of Maine to Massachusetts began developing pneumonia and skin lesions. A total of 162 dead or dying seals were recovered over the next three months, the researchers said. Early research on the mutations in the strain "suggest enhanced virulence and transmission in mammals," though further study is needed, the authors said.
The bird flu that most people know about, H5N1, remains relatively rare but has killed about half of the people it has infected since the first outbreak in Hong Kong in 1997. The World Health Organization has tallied 606 human cases of bird flu since 2003 and 357 deaths, according to a June report. The so-called swine flu, or H1N1, broke out in Mexico in 2009. The H1N1 virus spread into a global pandemic that claimed the lives of 17,000 people.
MEET A SEAL AND DOLPHIN WHO ARE BEST FRIENDS:
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Ed Bierman/flickr1 of 16
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Lance and Erin/flickr3 of 16
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-Northeast Region/flickr4 of 16
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-Northeast Region/flickr8 of 16
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Jocie SF/flickr10 of 16
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timsackton/flickr11 of 16
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ClintJCL/flickr12 of 16
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slack12/flickr14 of 16
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oneoftwelve/flickr15 of 16
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Getty Images/flickr16 of 16
The new strain has been named avian H3N8, and is blamed for the deaths of 162 seals along the US coastlines last year, said the study in mBio, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology. Most of the dead seals were younger than six months of age.
While there have been no known human cases to date, scientists at Columbia University in New York urged caution, given the history of bird flu and its ability to evolve into forms that can infect people, like H5N1.
"Our findings reinforce the importance of wildlife surveillance in predicting and preventing pandemics," said W. Ian Lipkin, professor of epidemiology at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. "HIV/AIDS, SARS, West Nile, Nipah and influenza are all examples of
emerging infectious diseases that originated in animals," Lipkin added. "Any outbreak of disease in domestic animals or wildlife, while an immediate threat to wildlife conservation, must also be considered potentially hazardous to humans."
RELATED: 15 Diseases That Can Affect You And Your Pet
Scientists sequenced the full genome of the new strain and found it originated from a bird flu virus that had been circulating in North American waterfowl since 2002. Over time, the virus gained the ability to infect mammals by latching on to receptors in their respiratory tracts.
Wildlife experts first grew alarmed in September 2011 when an increasing number of seals from the coasts of Maine to Massachusetts began developing pneumonia and skin lesions. A total of 162 dead or dying seals were recovered over the next three months, the researchers said. Early research on the mutations in the strain "suggest enhanced virulence and transmission in mammals," though further study is needed, the authors said.
The bird flu that most people know about, H5N1, remains relatively rare but has killed about half of the people it has infected since the first outbreak in Hong Kong in 1997. The World Health Organization has tallied 606 human cases of bird flu since 2003 and 357 deaths, according to a June report. The so-called swine flu, or H1N1, broke out in Mexico in 2009. The H1N1 virus spread into a global pandemic that claimed the lives of 17,000 people.
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25 Comments
These seals have been overpopulating on the East Coast because of animal protection laws. There are now way to many of them, and one problem with their unrestricted growth, is that great white sharks are coming close to shore for feeding, and attacking humans. A bird flu seems like nature doing what nature does.
August 01 2012 at 4:21 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyReply to lopjackie21
August 01 2012 at 5:53 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI GUESS you were raise as by the church but either you were going to church just to warm the seat or they werent doing a good job, as i recall seals are GOD creations too, u seem to criticize Liberals but they are more holy people than a person like you who preach to the world of GOD but actions like yours are the main reason this world is destroy, you no different from the people in middle east "taliban" raidcals extremist who say there actions are justify because they do it in the name of allah, Like the extremist which both failed GOD I guess you didnt read the bible correctly or your church fail to teach correctly the bible to you.
dddelight123
August 01 2012 at 3:37 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyReply to lopjackie21
I GUESS you were raise as by the church but either you were going to church just to warm the seat or they werent doing a good job, as i recall seals are GOD creations too, u seem to criticize Liberals but they are more holy people than a person like you who preach to the world of GOD but actions like yours are the main reason this world is destroy, you no different from the people in middle east "taliban" raidcals extremist who say there actions are justify because they do it in the name of allah, Like the extremist which both failed GOD I guess you didnt read the bible correctly or your church fail to teach correctly the bible to you.
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EVERYONE HAS DIFFERENT RELIGION BELIEFS. You can't judge others' beliefs on their religion. Respect it, and leave their life alone. And "YOU" must take a deep thoroughly digging on research about the BIBLE. Now I know this web page is about seals dying, but I hate to interrupt a hypocrite and misjudging arrogant person here like dddelight123. I love animals, yes.. I have a dog as a pet, I love cats, but I can't come near them cuz I have allergies, and as for the disappearance of rare animals worldwide, I wish people would stop killing them and polluting. Yes, there are too many machine morons creating machines that can do much harm to animals than us. Now us humans, its our doings whether we tc of our own home, the earth in a healthy environment. OH and uh DDDELIGHT123, watch thy tongue or it'll lit into flame.
to linda
August 01 2012 at 5:37 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Replyi guess ur parents failed to raise U such a unkind inhuman person as u R, u must have been born out of a man and not a woman since u express yourself like that for a woman so sad
seals have the right to live as anyone, imagine someone jump you than rapes you pleading for you life i would tell you cold blood like you gun pointed on your eyes than you should have wish you never been born... bang you die than in the next life you are a seal :)
ONYXWHIZ
August 01 2012 at 5:30 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Replywhy u people would say something like that seals are pest they are the cutest are God created creatures never the less, these animals have the right to live as much as you infested disease of a human that you are. If you were to be jump over powered and you begging for you life which i know you would as you proven you a coward, I would tell you then you should have wish you would never be born...bang u dead! in the next life you are a seal! waa ha ha
DDELIGHT123, You are the most dumbest person i've seen online. You misread my message to someone here name LINDA who commented:
August 01 2012 at 3:31 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply"Good, we could use a few billion less seals. They are dirty, noisy, noxious pests who littler beaches and piers around the world."
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Now, you are now one of the arrogant pests along with this "LINDA" not because you dislike seals which I know you do like seals, but because for judging something you don't understand. Also BANG! You're a dead corpse that needs to burn to ashes.
Animals can be very destructive. An infestation of certain types of insects can fell more trees in a year than a logging company. This constant romanticizing of animals as pure goodness (and humans as pure evil) is silly. We're part of nature too.
August 01 2012 at 2:38 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyAnimals do not destroy the earth, humans do. To all those who act like it is not a big deal to lose animals due to our pollution, I hope you come back as one in your next life you reap what you sow.
August 01 2012 at 2:14 AM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down ReplyWhy the hell would you bring politics into this?
July 31 2012 at 10:45 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyMay God help us all! The pharmaceutical industry in this country, in concert with our government, is way out of line with this kind of stuff! When will it end? Pretty scary!
July 31 2012 at 10:09 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyshereeLeMon
July 31 2012 at 9:19 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyTo Loopjackie 21
Something is really wrong with you.
3 hours ago
lopjackie21
Liberals seem to be more concerned over animals then human life.
If we kill a seal; they cry bloody murder...but having an abortion is
no big deal. I guess they don't see it as MURDER...when it IS MURDER
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Nothing's wrong with loopjackie...Jackie's right about abortion is murder..
It's OK to be concerned about both things. One does not preclude the other.
March 25 2013 at 9:57 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Replycute baby seals......this is sad.........
July 31 2012 at 7:15 PM Report abuse Permalink +1 rate up rate down Reply