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Eric Feigl-Ding Profile picture
@DrEricDing
Apr 3 • 11 tweets • 5 min read • Read on X
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🧬MUTATION IN AVIAN FLU GENOME—CDC’s avian flu found in Texas man shows one unique mutation “associated with viral adaptation to mammalian hosts”—which helps the virus 📌“improve RNA polymerase activity and [virus] replication efficiency in mammalian cells”, says the report. but CDC also states “no evidence of onward spread among people”. @CDCgov claims “overall risk remains low”.

➡️I worry that @CDCFlu’s “no evidence of onward spread among people” (April 2024) could become the new “no evidence of human to human transmission” (WHO Jan 2020). Need to be watchful. 🧵
cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/s…Image
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2) Also buried in the CDC report is a worrisome line that—“It is important to note that this substitution (mutation) has not been seen in available PB2 genes from viruses circulating in wild birds and poultry or in the recently described cattle viruses detected in Texas, 📌suggesting the mutation may have been acquired in the patient”. ➡️Thus, this was a novel mutation in which the avian flu virus has **newly adapted inside the host of the Texas man**. 😳Image
3) This is why I was worried about the sudden emergence timeline of the Texas case. Usually onwards spread across species is not this fast.
4) Please be vigilant about the symptoms of the new avian flu…
5) How did the avian flu acquire the new aforementioned mutation? It can either be genetic drift or a genetic shift—which can occur when a mammal (eg human) is simultaneously infected by two flu strains that then mix their genes to create a “worst of both worlds” mutated virus.
6) Folks— to clear up the confusion what the CDC meant here— “the mutation may have been acquired in the patient” means that the new avian flu genetic mutation ==> directly EMERGED IN THE HUMAN PATIENT (the Texas man)—and not from a bird🦆 or a cow🐄. This is why it’s a big deal. Image
7) We have checked off one of the 4 items on the warning list… watching for the other signals.
8) Milk transmission possible in theory - but milk is safe to drink - as long as it’s properly pasteurized. Don’t do the alternative raw milk thing folks! Image
9) Another new dairy herd in Ohio also now positive for avian flu. We are now up to 7 states and 12 different dairy herds. Likely several more in coming days will be positive. This has no sign of slowing. Hope people don’t drink unpasteurized milk or dairy products for a while. Image
10) Folks— PASTEURIZED MILK only going forward until this avian flu in dairy cow situation is resolved…. new USDA warning.
11) If you’re eating eggs 🥚 … only FULLY COOKED EGGS 🍳 only. Not even partially-cooked “runny” eggs with sunny side up. Fully cooked means a solid yolk. Image

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More from @DrEricDing

Eric Feigl-Ding Profile picture
May 2
Incredibly frustrating that the @USDA again failed to include basic information about H5N1 genetic sequences from cows. All data had dates and locations scrubbed out—only saying “USA” & “2024”, which is useless for scientists to analyze for mutation rates.
statnews.com/2024/05/02/bir…
Image
2) The fact that basic information — called metadata — isn’t being shared about the samples “hinders our efforts a lot,” said Gytis Dudas, a senior researcher in genomic epidemiology and metagenomics. Dudas is working with a group of U.S. and international researchers to try to make sense of what the genetic sequences say about the H5N1 outbreak in cows.
3) A number of scientists have openly questioned whether the USDA is deliberately withholding these data, or even removing more specific information. 🔥
Read 5 tweets
Eric Feigl-Ding Profile picture
Apr 27
⚠️CDC WARNING FOR ALL VETERINARIANS, POULTRY, DAIRY & CATTLE FARMWORKERS, SLAUGHTERHOUSE WORKERS—New CDC guidelines now released to use PPE for high risk bird flu exposure occupations (all recommended):

📌N95 respirators
📌Goggles 🥽 or face shield 🛡️
📌Coveralls or fluid-resistant aprons
📌Head covering
📌Rubber boots with sealed seams
📌Gloves

Furthermore:
📍Designated areas for changing PPEs
📍Do not eat, drink, chew gum, chew tobacco, smoke, vape, or use the bathroom while wearing above PPE
📍Shower after work shift
📍(see full list for more details).

Glad the @CDCgov is taking this seriously. You should too. And please don’t drink raw milk 🥛! #AvianFlu #BirdFlu #H5N1
cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/h…Image
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Don’t do raw milk 🥛 please, for the love of god. I know there are many raw milk enthusiasts out there. But just take a pause until this is over? Don’t try to be a macho man about this.
3) try to drink either vegan milks like oat or soy or almond milk, or ultra pasteurized milk.
Read 9 tweets
Eric Feigl-Ding Profile picture
Apr 27
Seriously. Raw milk drinkers… don’t do it. We scientists are pretty damn sure there will be some degree of active virus inside raw milk. Cats have been infected on farms—via likely raw milk. And all 6 cats with bird flu have died of rapid neurological declines, says CDC.
Raw milk drinkers… 1% of all milk being non pasteurized worries me. Too much virus to be potentially circulating.
3) I’m sticking with either vegan types of milk, or ultra pasteurized just to be safe.
Read 6 tweets
Eric Feigl-Ding Profile picture
Apr 26
⚠️Bad signal—CDC confirming—“cats having neurologic symptoms, rapid decline, and death” from H5N1 #birdflu. 3 more cases in cats 🐈 on dairy farms… now 6 total. ➡️The prior 3 bird flu positive cats? All dead now. Likely more. This is mammalian adaptation.
bnonews.com/index.php/2024…
Image
2) I suspect cats are drinking milk from the dairy cows on the dairy farms. This is why we shouldn’t drink raw milk 🥛 currently. Even pasteurized milk, some scientists are unsure of because of lack of safety data. See thread 🧵 below.
3) Not just cats — certain dog breeds (like beagles are highly susceptible to H5N1 avian flu too. And such dogs can facilitate their adaptation towards humans eventually (since more dogs are around people than dairy cows).

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20580396/
Image
Read 10 tweets
Eric Feigl-Ding Profile picture
Apr 25
📍Let this sink in—a world leading virologist @RickABright who has studied H5N1 bird flu says he is pausing all his milk consumption until he sees proof from both FDA & USDA that pasteurized milk is safe to drink. Pausing milk because of his concern over lack of transparent data.
Why are scientists pausing milk intake? Because there still isn’t enough data on safety of pasteurized milk. There has been data on other viruses in the past that survive pasteurization. See detailed thread 🧵 below.
3) also avoid raw and undercooked eggs for now just to be safe…
Read 15 tweets
Eric Feigl-Ding Profile picture
Apr 24
Testing conducted by the FDA on pasteurized commercially purchased milk has found genetic evidence of the H5N1 bird flu virus. ➡️But the testing, done by PCR cannot distinguish between live virus or fragments of viruses that could have been killed by the pasteurization process.

The FDA said it has been trying to see if it could grow virus from milk found to contain evidence of H5N1, which is the gold standard test to see if there is viable virus in a product. 📌The FDA *does NOT explicitly say FDA laboratories were unable to find live virus in the milk samples, but nevertheless it does state that its belief that commercial, pasteurized milk is safe to consume has not been altered by these findings.

(Sound familiar? Just like blanket assuming a virus “isn’t airborne”, “cannot transmit without symptoms”, “no human to human transmission” errors during COVID). That said, I will am hopeful that no live virus will be found in confirmation. But let’s be precautious.
statnews.com/2024/04/23/h5n…Image
2) PPE and safety googles or face shield recommended for dairy farmers and anyone handling raw milk 🥛. Also they warn about poor fitting respirators for children (who may work near dairy— like I used to help on a dairy farm as a kid in rural Pa). Image
3) people working with cattle 🐄 should also “avoid eating drinking smoking chewing gum in contaminated areas or touching eyes.” And people exposed should wear PPE should be monitored for symptoms for 10 days. Image
Read 10 tweets

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