I'm Going Into 2025 With Increased Concerns About HPAI H5N1

Thu, 02 Jan 2025 15:14:49 GMT

As we leave 2024 behind and start the New Year, the U.S. needs to step up its efforts to stop the spread of HPAI H5N1 — for all our sakes.

Based on the official numbers of virus cases reported in the dairy industry and beyond, in poultry and wildlife, it doesn’t appear we are moving fast enough individually or collectively to rein in this virus.

I’m trying to tread lightly on this topic, but candidly, I’m afraid.

The Impact On People

I’m very concerned about what this virus has the potential to do to human beings — our dairy farmers, farm workers, veterinarians — and, yes, the rest of us.

While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the “current risk to individual and population health remains low in the U.S.,” that statement is less reassuring to me as time marches on and the virus spreads.

As of Dec. 30, 2024, the CDC has confirmed “only” 66 cases of the virus in people. See H5 Bird Flu: Current Situation.

That number is likely very low, based on what veterinarians have told me since March 25, 2024, when the virus was first confirmed in dairy cattle.

More importantly, consider what scientists are saying.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) reported on Dec. 30 that “the virus strain found in dairy cows in the U.S. may only need one mutation for it to be able to spread among humans, according to a study published in the journal Science in early December.”

Dr. Les Sims, a veterinary consultant who has worked internationally for over 30 years on the prevention and control of major infectious diseases of food-producing animals, warns in the article: “The longer this virus circulates unchecked, the higher the likelihood it will acquire the mutations needed to cause a pandemic. We need to act urgently to prevent this scenario.”

The AVMA’s complete article is available here:
Novel bird flu strain continues to threaten animal, public health

Virologists Share Their Perspectives
Another insightful article is The state of H5N1 infections and research as 2025 approaches, posted on Dec. 24 by Chemical & Engineering News. It notes:

“As more cows get infected with H5N1 bird flu, and more people get exposed to infected animals, there’s increased opportunity for the virus to evolve into a version that’s more capable of spreading between people,” says Ed Hutchinson, a virologist at the University of Glasgow. “The process could result in the virus accumulating mutations that allow for better replication and transmission, including between people.”

“Virologists are also concerned about a situation where a person simultaneously gets infected with H5N1 and human influenza virus H3N2 or H1N1, each of which is currently circulating as flu activity gains pace . But it’s hard to predict whether genetic reassortment between those viruses would create a version of H5N1 that’s more adept at spreading in humans,” says Richard Webby, an influenza virologist at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, in the Chemical & Engineering News article.

Consider what one physician told NBC News Science Reporter Evan Bush on Dec. 23:

“The traffic light is changing from green to amber,” said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, who studies infectious diseases. “So many signs are going in the wrong direction.”

See Bird flu warning signs are going in the wrong direction

Impacts In Dairy, Poultry, Wildlife
The virus continues to spread in the dairy industry, and it’s alarming the toll it’s already taken in domestic poultry and wildlife. In summary:

In Dairy: On March 25, 2024, the USDA, CDC and FDA made their official confirmation of the virus in dairy herds in two states, Texas and Kansas. A short nine months later, on Dec. 30, 2024, we officially had 913 herds affected in 16 states, according to the CDC. See Domestic Summary.

In Poultry: the USDA says HPAI H5N1 outbreaks in poultry have been detected in all 50 states —1,324 commercial flocks and 729 backyard flocks—resulting in the depopulation of more than 125 million turkeys and chickens. See the Full Report .

In Wildlife: The virus has affected more than 200 wildlife species across the U.S. See Detections of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Mammals.

Do What You Can
I don’t want to experience “another Covid” or a virus that could be even worse. I’m sure no one else does, either.

We must act individually and collectively to stem the spread of HPAI H5N1.

Please don’t “kick the can” on down the road and expect someone else to do your part. Take the steps you can to help, however small they might be.
That’s what I’m trying to do, too.

HPAI H5N1 is Content Focus of Special Issue

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New Zealand Reports First Case of HPAI

USDA Reports First H5N1 Detection in Swine

Navigating HPAI: Supporting Producers and Safeguarding Cows

Understand Yourself Better and Be Better on the Job

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 21:00:38 GMT

Are you interested in being more effective in your business and personal interactions? Are you tired of butting heads with that annoying person on your team day after day? Are you looking for ways to be more efficient as a leader on the farm, in your business or at home?

In a practice tips seminar at the American Association of Swine Veterinarians annual meeting, JD Fiechtner, key account veterinarian for Boehringer Ingelheim, shared tips to help people “Be Better Than Before.”

In the swine industry, continual improvement in production systems isn’t just a good idea, it’s the standard. But Fiechtner points out that it’s all too easy to be so focused on the pigs that we forget to make time for the continuous improvement process in our own lives.

“The key behind all of this is communication. About 90% of corporate errors could be fixed by effective communication, and 75% of communication is received incorrectly in a business setting,” Fiechtner says.

That’s why he decided to present his practice tips session from a different angle – emphasizing communication.

“They say it’s important to know your audience. But I believe knowing yourself is just as important or maybe perhaps more so,” he says.

After trying personality profiling tests such as the DISC Assessment and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, he heard about the Enneagram. Of course, he said he couldn’t resist trying it out. And it was overwhelmingly helpful.

“I recommend the Enneagram Institute Site where you can take the Rheti 2.5 test, which consists of 144 paired questions. It takes 30 or 40 minutes. It costs $12 online for the Institute to send you your measurements or results from the test for you to discern your basic personality type,” Fiechtner explains.

Not only did he discover more about his dominant personality, but the Enneagram also expands on the basic reflexes of the nine dominant personalities and the positive and negative interactions between the different personality types.

Reflex Actions

Fiechtner says it was helpful to understand his reflex actions and why he reacts the way he does.

“It allows me to take a deep breath now, understand that reflex, and then make a conscious choice of how to respond accordingly. My tendency is to do X, and it may not always be healthy,” he explains.

But he points out the most helpful part is being able to use his knowledge to better interact with others. For example, if he knows ahead of time what someone’s hot buttons may be, he’ll work harder to avoid tripping those negative responses.

“The Enneagram allows me to understand why people respond or react to things. If I’m able, I will prepare ahead of time to hit the primary spots that mean more to them than the negative response applications,” Fiechtner adds. “None of us are perfect. It’s a maturing response process where you can choose to respond in what is the best interest of both of you, rather than just responding according to your reflex emotion.”

Understanding your innate responses can help you become more positive. For example, Fiechtner says he’s a logical, black-and-white, straightforward kind of person. Yet he interacts with people who are on the emotional side and are more aware of their feelings.

“At times, it has been difficult for me to understand that some people do not want to receive my logic just because it’s right,” he says. “I learned I needed to consider how my words may affect their feelings, too.”

If you understand how the other person receives things, you can change how you present them.

“The only place you have control is yourself. So, start there,” Fiechtner says. “I think with a basic understanding of others’ personalities, we can be more accepting. It helps us avoid those pitfalls of negative interactions so we can focus on positive communication and progress, rather than little nuances that may bother us.”

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Client relations

I'm Going Into 2025 With Increased Concerns About HPAI H5N1

The Impact On People

Understand Yourself Better and Be Better on the Job

Reflex Actions