
Bird flu outbreaks in mammals double, raising human risk: report
Avian influenza has spread across the world like never before in the last few years, leading to the mass culling of poultry, sending egg prices soaring and causing the deaths of several people in contact with infected animals.
While the overall risk of human infection remains low, bird flu outbreaks among mammals such as cattle, dogs and cats increase the possibility that the virus could eventually adapt to transmit between humans, the
World Organisation for Animal Health
(WOAH) said in a new report.
The number of mammal outbreaks soared to 1,022 across 55 countries last year, compared to 459 in 2023, according to the Paris-based agency, which monitors animal diseases worldwide.
"It is concerning because it is a change in the pattern of the epidemiology of the virus," WOAH's director general Emmanuelle Soubeyran told AFP.
Health experts have been sounding the alarm about the potential pandemic threat posed by bird flu, which has shown signs of mutating as it spreads in particular among dairy cows in the United States.
The new report comes as the budgets of US health and science agencies have been slashed by the Trump administration.
This included the sacking earlier this year of the staff of an epidemiology programme known as the "disease detectives".
- 'Global emergency' -
Bird flu "is more than an animal health crisis -- it is a global emergency destabilising agriculture, food security, trade and ecosystems," the report warned.
More than 630 million birds have either died from avian influenza or been culled due to it over the last two decades, according to the agency's first annual State of the World's Animal Health report.
Wild birds have also suffered mass die-offs, although the exact number is difficult to estimate.
The report highlighted the role that vaccination can play in stemming outbreaks among birds -- which in turn decreases the risk to mammals and humans.
It cited the example of France, which started vaccinating poultry ducks against bird flu in 2023.
Modelling from the Toulouse Veterinary School estimated there would be 700 outbreaks in France that year. In the end, there were just 10, the report said.
Soubeyran said this was a "win-win" because it reduced exposure to humans -- and meant there were more poultry products available for export.
However, she emphasised that vaccines were not a "magic wand" and did not suit every situation.
Biosecurity, surveillance, increased transparency and global collaboration are also important tools to fight off the threat of bird flu, Soubeyran added, calling for more investment in these areas.
- Antibiotic use falls -
Last month Mexico reported its first human death from bird flu, a three-year-old girl.
The US recorded its first death in January, while there have been two deaths in Cambodia this year.
Nearly 50 percent of bird flu infections have historically proved fatal, according to the World Health Organization.
It says the human cases detected so far are mostly linked to people who had close contact with infected birds and other animals, or contaminated environments.
The WOAH report also warned more broadly about the rising danger of animal diseases crossing over into humans as climate change pushes species into new areas.
Nearly 70 percent of the emerging diseases notified to the agency over the last 20 years were considered to have the potential to pose a threat to human health, it said.
Another danger is the increasing resistance some diseases are having to antibiotics, which is "one of the greatest threats to global health, food security and economic stability", the report said.
In positive news, use of antibiotics in animals fell by five percent between 2020 and 2022.
Europe saw the biggest decline -- 23 percent, it added, calling for further reductions.
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Indian Express
5 hours ago
- Indian Express
Why minimum standards for handling diagnostic samples are important
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) last week assured the Delhi High Court that it will soon notify minimum clinical standards for collection, handling, and transport of diagnostic samples. The MoHFW said that subject experts held 'detailed internal deliberations for formulating minimum standards' following which the draft minimum standards were finalised. The policy is currently being vetted by the legislative department of the Ministry of Law & Justice, the MoHFW told the court. Existing Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) guidelines on collection and handling of clinical samples are rudimentary and piecemeal. For instance, the Pune-based ICMR-National Institute of Virology (NIV) has specific 'Guidelines for collection, packaging and transport of specimens for testing for high risk viral pathogens', which include guidelines for handling samples containing Covid-19 virus. These guidelines, however, are not comprehensive: they only relate to handling of specific 'high risk' viruses. These are also not uniformly enforced owing to gaps in the law governing labs and sample collection centres, as well as its enforcement. Medical professionals have long been calling for reform; the MoHFW's soon-to-be-notified policy seeks to answer this call. Beyond lack of comprehensive clinical guidelines, experts have pointed to a couple of significant loopholes vis-à-vis the medical testing ecosystem. 🔴 First is the continued existence of standalone collection centres. In 2018, the Centre had notified that sample collection centres should be part of the main laboratories, and that the parent laboratories should be held accountable for their compliance of norms. But in the absence of clear-cut standards, standalone collection centres continue to be registered in various states, posing a fundamental problem when it comes to ensuring compliance with clinical standards. In November 2020, the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) had flagged that 'there are mismatches in the declaration (of samples) made by (accredited) lab to NABL and the actual collection centres/facilities/sources of collection which are available on their websites or other documents'. At the time, it advised labs to declare all sample collection centres within 30 days, and cautioned that 'any sample collection not under the responsibility of the lab and not covered under its (quality) management system is non-compliant with the accreditation norms and liable to action by NABL.' The MoHFW's new policy will likely address this issue. 🔴 Experts have also called for revisiting current laws guiding 'who' can collect samples and issue reports. 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But the Centre's Clinical Establishment (Central Government) Amendment Rules 2020 did not address the issue, allowing 'unqualified and unregistered non-medical persons viz MSc/PhD were authorised to issue pathology reports without the signature/counter signature of a pathologist,' according to Jain. Jain challenged these amended rules, and in August 2021, also moved court highlighting an RT-PCR testing 'scam' during the Kumbh Mela in Haridwar that year where one lakh fake tests were reportedly conducted on devotees by unqualified intermediaries. 'The accused diagnostic labs in Delhi and Haryana were able to collect samples and conduct a huge number of tests where they have no sample collection centres at Uttarakhand. It is clear that a scam of such enormity has only been possible because of the lack of essential minimum standards on the issue of sample collection/sample collection centres and sample transport policy,' Jain had argued in his submission. In 2023, the Delhi High Court directed the Centre to consider Jain's plea as a representation and decide a solution in three months. In May 2023, the government held a meeting under the chairmanship of the Additional Director-General of Health Services, New Delhi, where Jain too was invited to make his representation. After the meeting, the government decided to constitute four sub-committees of experts — pathology, biochemistry, hematology and microbiology — to define standards of procedure (SOPs) for sample collection, collection centres and sample transport policy. When these guidelines were not notified even a year later, Jain in May 2024 moved the Delhi High Court again, accusing the government of wilful disobedience of the court's order. It is in this matter that the MoHFW has now assured the court that a policy will be notified at the earliest. Taking the ministry's submission on record, the court instructed that the standards be notified expeditiously, with a direction that the process 'may be accomplished within the next three months'.


Indian Express
8 hours ago
- Indian Express
Whole wheat burgers, millet pasta: How Delhi schools are serving up healthier menus
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That one sentence said everything about how children absorb food culture through their peers, and how schools influence the food choices, Choudhary realised. At her school, sugar boards are now displayed in the secondary wing, and fruit and vegetable theme days are held to nudge children towards healthier choices. 'In primary classes, parents still control the food,' she says. 'But by middle school, peer influence and coaching schedules take over.' At DPS Mathura Road, a revamped menu now features rajma rice, whole wheat burgers, semolina pasta, and drinks like chaach and coconut water. 'We've cut down on oily dishes like puri chole to once a week,' says Kamna Arora, coordinator for Classes 3 to 5. 'And we reserve one day when children can have what they like, French fries, honey chilli potato. But the rest of the week is clean.' In pre-primary classes, 'Healthy Tiffin Weeks' are now frequent, with games, story sessions, and reward charts encouraging children to bring fruits, vegetables, and homemade snacks. At Sri Venkateshwar International School, the canteen doesn't sit in a corner of the school; it is brought to the students. Each day, a mobile food stall is set up outside a different classroom. Trisha, a Class 12 student, loves (millet-based) pasta day. Her friends, Avni and Tuhina, say that between coaching classes and long school days, planning healthy meals at home is a struggle. 'At least here, we know the food's strictly healthy,' Avni says. 'We use palm oil instead of refined, limit spice, and constantly update our menu based on feedback,' says Ushma Kapoor, foundational years in charge. 'It's not just about what's in the food, but about teaching children how to think about food.' Doctors agree that the food boards are a step in the right direction in educating students. 'It is not about eating less food,' says Dr Nitin Verma, Director of Paediatrics at Madhukar Rainbow Children's Hospital. 'It is about eating the right food.' He warns that the early introduction of sugar can raise the risk of Type 2 diabetes, and says screen-heavy routines have led to a dangerous combination of sedentary lifestyles and junk food addiction. The CBSE boards, he says, are a good start, but he emphasises that more is needed: 'Schools should offer real alternatives: avocado toast, sprouts, protein-rich meals. Don't ban. Replace.' At Orchids International School, Gurgaon, Principal Dr Chaitini Kumar says, 'Binge-eating is a concern… When I was in Mumbai, a grade 2 student had obesity issues. Her parents were frustrated that she only eats aloo puri… we gave her a lot of options, but she wouldn't eat… So that happens a lot.' At the same school, a Class 9 boy says, 'When I was in Class 5, I was addicted to sugary food. After some time, when I entered Class 7, I understood the harm it has on the body. That's when I decided to reduce it.' Schools are also trying to balance health goals with student preferences. At Amity International School, Saket, the canteen menu includes familiar favourites like rajma chawal, chhole chawal, chana kulcha, idli sambhar, and vegetarian fried rice with manchurian. Among students, the most popular dish is vegetable chowmein. While the noodles are made using maida, the school has added more vegetables to enhance their nutritional value. Principal Divya Bhatia says, 'Chips and aerated drinks are not served. We are also contemplating adding sprout chaat, wheat kathis and beetroot rolls.' The canteen is open to students from Class VI onwards, while students of Classes IV and V are allowed to purchase food on specific days. At DPS Mathura Road, Kamna Arora, coordinator for Classes 3 to 5, explains, 'There are two kinds of parents. Some are very health conscious and support these changes. But others insist on keeping items their child likes — like noodles.' To find a middle ground, the school includes items like fries or veg manchurian once a week, while focusing on healthier options the rest of the time. On a Friday morning in her office, Arora flips through a student's notebook from Class IV, where she's checking diagrams of human teeth. One page, written in neat handwriting, poses the question: 'What is a balanced diet?' She explains that the lesson connects the two on how poor eating habits, like excess sugar or lack of nutrients, can lead to tooth decay and other oral health issues. 'These lessons are embedded across subjects,' she says. 'It becomes more detailed in Class V and above, but the foundation is laid early. Every moment in school is an opportunity to reinforce it.'


Time of India
11 hours ago
- Time of India
Greenhouse gases aren't harmful? Donald Trump administration likely to make shocking announcement
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