All articles tagged with #spillover
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has declared its 16th Ebola outbreak, with genomic analysis indicating a new spillover event from an unknown reservoir, distinct from previous outbreaks, confirmed through rapid sequencing and phylogenetic analysis.
Scientists warn that the next pandemic, dubbed "the Big One," could be caused by the Nipah virus, a deadly brain-swelling virus that recently had an outbreak in India. Unlike viruses like the flu and Covid-19, which mutate rapidly, paramyxoviruses like Nipah do not mutate as they spread but are highly contagious among humans. The Nipah virus has a fatality rate between 40 and 75 percent, making it difficult to develop treatments and vaccines. The virus's ability to jump from different species, known as spillover, highlights the need for governments to control land development and protect animal habitats. Deforestation, urbanization, and intensive farming have been linked to spillover in research.
The ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict is spilling into Syria, exacerbating the already unstable situation in the country, according to the United Nations special envoy for Syria. The envoy highlighted airstrikes by Israel on Syrian airports and retaliatory actions by the United States, claiming attacks on its forces by groups backed by Iran. The envoy also noted a surge in violence in Syria, with increased attacks in government-controlled areas and rocket attacks on rebel-held northwest Syria. The United States accused Syria of allowing Iran and terrorist groups to use its airports for military purposes, while Russia criticized Israeli and U.S. actions as violations of Syria's sovereignty. Iran's ambassador refuted U.S. claims and emphasized Iran's commitment to avoiding escalation in the region.
US forces in the Middle East are facing increased threats as the Israel-Hamas war raises concerns of spillover across the region. Drones and missiles were launched at bases hosting US troops in Iraq, while a US warship intercepted missiles potentially heading towards Israel. President Joe Biden has deployed naval power to the region, and there has been an uptick in attacks on US forces since the conflict in Israel began. The US has not seen a direct connection between these attacks and the Israel-Hamas conflict, but Iran-backed groups in Iraq have formed a joint operations room to support Hamas. The situation has prompted warnings of a potential regional crisis and calls for tighter sanctions on Iran.
A study published in Nature Communications reveals that white-tailed deer in Ohio have been infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, with at least 30 of those infections traced back to human transmission. The research suggests that spillover of the virus between humans and animals may be more common than previously thought. The study also found that the virus can mutate quickly in deer, and strains such as the alpha and delta variants are surviving in deer populations despite no longer being prevalent in humans. Additionally, doctors are monitoring a new highly mutated variant, BA.2.86, which is an offshoot of the omicron variant but is unlikely to cause a devastating wave due to widespread immunity from vaccines and prior infections.
Destruction of bat habitats worldwide is increasing the risk of a new pandemic as bats are carriers of tens of thousands of viruses. Reuters conducted a global analysis to identify areas most vulnerable to spillover of bat viruses, dubbing them "jump zones." These areas cover 6% of Earth's land mass and are mostly tropical locales rich in bats and undergoing rapid urbanization. Nearly 1.8 billion people lived in these jump zones in 2020, an increase of 57% since 2002, putting more than 1 billion people at risk.
Spillover is when a contagious disease jumps from animals to humans, and it is much more common than scientists previously thought. The European Centre for Disease Control warns that mutations found in the H5N1 avian flu virus are “concerning.” In the U.S., the bird flu outbreak has spread to mammals, including minks, foxes, raccoons, and bears. Spillover only becomes a threat to the general public if the disease becomes adapted to human biology. To prevent future spillover, we need to protect natural spaces and keep wildlife separate from humans and agriculture animals, and improve our ability to detect new spillover events early.
Pet owners can catch viruses from their dogs and cats, even without direct contact with their saliva. Dogs and cats can carry various viruses, including Heartland virus and a new coronavirus that likely jumps from dogs to people. However, these viruses usually don't make humans very sick or sick at all. People can also pass their viruses to their pets, a phenomenon called reverse spillover or reverse zoonosis. Being exposed to viruses from pets can give humans immunity to those viruses and similar ones.