MEDIA EXPERTS ON H5N1 INFLUENZA
Click to find a list of researchers at UC Davis working on H5N1 Influenza.
H5N1 Influenza and an Emerging Planetary Crisis
UC Davis, with the world class School of Veterinary Medicine, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, and School of Medicine, is uniquely positioned to address the emerging H5N1 influenza crisis. UC Davis experts are informing the public, developing preparedness and response recommendations, conducting surveillance in wildlife for early alerts and vaccine intelligence, and combatting misinformation as the crisis continues to develop.
Learn more about the UC Davis One Health early alert response to H5N1 Influenza.
H5N1 Influenza Emergency Consultation
May 16 2024
Employing the One Health approach to prepare for, prevent, and respond to emerging health threats
On Thursday May 16, 2024, Grand Challenges and the School of Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis teamed up to host an Emergency One Health Consultation on Combating H5N1 Influenza, the virus currently decimating marine wildlife populations and circulating in milk in the US. The online event attracted more than 600 registrants and featured a cross-sector, international lineup of panelists who are experts on infectious diseases, influenza, veterinary medicine, food safety, disease diagnostics, and public health.
The Consultation was held in response to the growing number of cases of H5N1 Influenza that have appeared in wildlife, poultry, dairy cattle, and now humans. Repeated mammal-to-mammal transmissions have been observed in recent months, including transmission between cows and from cows to cats and humans.
The high rate of mammal-to-mammal transmissions is increasing the concern that a large-scale spillover of the virus into humans could occur, or that it could significantly disrupt our food production systems in the US and abroad. The Consultation assembled expertise around the virus and pandemic responses, in general, as part of a broader effort to create robust and effective pandemic preparedness, prevention, and response infrastructure in the US.
Throughout the program, the panelists, who included scientists from leading US government agencies, state and county health officials, and university experts, voiced overwhelming support for a One Health approach to build long-term, comprehensive public health systems and strategies for early preparedness, prevention, and responses to emerging health threats. The One Health approach considers the interdependencies of animals, plants, and humans and the influence of one group’s health and well-being on the others.
Read more here.
Event Documents
Recordings below:
Welcome and Panel 1: H5N1 Influenza & need for a One Health approach
Panel 2: Multisectoral integration for preparedness & response
Discussion: Recommendations and next steps
H5N1 Influenza in the news
Resources
Newly Released Paper on Influenza A H5N1
Read the pre-print newly released paper: “Massive outbreak of Influenza A H5N1 in elephant seals at Peninsula Valdes, Argentina: increased evidence for mammal-to-mammal transmission” by Marcela M Uhart, Ralph E. T. Vanstreels, Martha I. Nelson, Valeria Olivera, Julieta Campagna, Victoria Zavattieri, Philippe Lemey, Claudio Campagna, Valeria Falabella, Agustina Rimondi
Read the UC Davis report on the study that led to the paper: H5N1 is Increasingly Adapting to Mammals
Map of HPAI Influenza Spread
A poultry expert at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine has teamed up with a geographic information systems (GIS) expert at UC Agriculture and Natural Resources to create a map showing the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) since 2021. Find the map here.
Preparedness for Backyard Poultry Owners
Maurice Pitesky, Associate Professor in Cooperative Extension of the UCD School of Veterinary Medicine has prepared a fact sheet with tips and resources for backyard poultry owners. Access this resource here.
WaterFowl Alert Network
Waterfowl Alert Network is the world’s first daily waterfowl prediction tool for animal agriculture and various other applications including golf courses, airports and solar and wind farms. The tool makes daily predictions of waterfowl abundance and/or occupancy at high spatial granularity. The tool is a subscription service with a per farm subscription fee. Access this resource here.
UC Davis Pandemic Preparedness Roadmap
The COVID-19 pandemic has provided a blueprint for action. By addressing these strategic priorities and recommendations, the vision for health equity in emergencies can be realized, ensuring preparedness and a robust response for future health crises. Access the report here.
Early Warnings: Launching a Speaker Series for Risk Communication and Community Engagement
On April 2, 2024, the Grand Challenges Institute for Pandemic Intelligence hosted a situation update from Dr. Marcela Uhart, Director of the Latin America Wildlife Health Program at the School of Veterinary Medicine’s One Health Institute, on the emerging health crisis confronting wildlife and conservation from the ongoing avian influenza outbreak in South America. View the webinar below.
“This outbreak is the greatest calamity to affect wildlife, particularly marine mammals, in South America in recent history.” – Dr. Uhart
