The outbreak in the Seoul shelter, which has been placed in quarantine, comes after multiple sick cats in Poland tested positive for H5N1

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/bird-flu-cat-deaths-shelter-south-korea/

BySarah Newey, GLOBAL HEALTH SECURITY CORRESPONDENT, IN BANGKOK27 July 2023 • 10:47am

Bird flu has killed two cats at a shelter in South Korea, with investigations underway to confirm whether another 36 with the same symptoms also died from the virus. 

The outbreak in the private Seoul facility, which has been placed in quarantine, comes after at least 29 sick cats across Poland tested positive for H5N1, with European health officials urging pet-owners to keep their cats indoors to reduce their exposure to the deadly virus. 

It is the first time since 2016 that avian influenza infections have been found in cats in South Korea, the government said, and no humans who came into contact with the animals have so far shown signs of symptoms. 

Surveillance is being ramped up within a six mile radius of the animal shelter. The source of the outbreak remains unknown. 

Although only two dead cats have so far tested positive, authorities are racing to test samples from another 36 felines who died between June 24 and July 26, according to Daesub Song, a professor at Seoul National University’s department of Veterinary Medicine which initially investigated the outbreak. 

“In my lab, two samples from dead cats were identified as H5N1 positive,” he told the Telegraph on Thursday. “The other 36 cats were dead with [the] same symptoms. 

“However, most of them were submitted to the Korea government’s diagnostic lab. Within this week, I expect that the government [will] announce the data. This case has [a] big impact due to the massive cat mortality rate and spillover from avian to mammal cases, as observed in Poland and some European countries.”

Increased vigilance

Since late 2021, bird flu has killed millions of birds across the globe, with 67 countries in five continents reporting highly pathogenic H5N1 outbreaks last year. More than 131 million domestic poultry have also died or been culled in affected areas. 

But the rising number of infections in mammals – outbreaks have been reported in 26 species, including farmed mink in Spain, otters in the UK, and sea lions in Peru – has generated particular alarm, raising concerns that opportunities for the virus to evolve to better infect people are growing. 

“The increase of [highly pathogenic] H5N1 cases in mammals, including cats, warrants more vigilance,” Gaël Lamielle, a regional surveillance coordinator at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s regional office for Asia and the Pacific, told the Telegraph. 

But he added: “Based on the current knowledge, no human cases of influenza avian H5N1 have been attributed to contact with cats”. 

Instead, human infections with H5N1 have been historically linked to close contact with sick birds or their environment, and it does not appear to be able to transmit easily from person to person. 

Yet in April, the virus was found to “efficiently” spread between ferrets in a laboratory – the first study confirming that the virus can spread from mammal to mammal. There are fears that the wider the spread in animals, the greater the potential for the pathogen to gain the mutations needed to spread more efficiently in people.

07-21-2023

ByChrissy Sexton

Earth.com staff writer

https://www.earth.com/news/hidden-costs-of-organic-farming-wildlife-may-struggle-through-the-transition/

As farms across the globe continue to shift toward organic agricultural practices, new research suggests that this transition may have unexpected effects on bat populations. The study has uncovered evidence that during the transition period to organic farming, bat activity is substantially reduced. 

This surprising discovery highlights the intricate interconnectedness of ecosystems and raises questions about how best to manage farming transitions to benefit biodiversity.

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While it has long been recognized that organic farming fosters greater biodiversity than conventional farming, less is known about the impact of the transition period on local wildlife. 

Traditional farming heavily relies on substances such as pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers which can be detrimental to many species. As farms convert to organic practices, these substances are removed, leaving a gap that some elements of biodiversity may struggle to bridge.

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Focus of the study

To gain insights into this, the researchers turned their focus to bats – specifically, insect-eating bats living in the citrus orchards of Cyprus. 

Across 22 matched pairs of citrus orchards, the team monitored the activity of four bat species: Kuhl’s pipistrelle (P. kuhlii), Savi’s pipistrelle (H. savii), common bent-wing (M. schreibersii), and common pipistrelle (P. pipistrellus). 

These observations allowed them to compare bat activity at certified organic farms with conventional farms, and those in transition to organic practices

What the researchers learned 

The study revealed that the activity of three of the four bat species was notably lower at farms in the transition period compared to those maintaining conventional practices. 

However, once the transition to organic farming was complete, bat activity increased, indicating a “time-lag” before the organic biodiversity boost for the most abundant bat species.

The researchers, initially anticipating positive effects from the onset of organic farming transition, were taken aback by these results.

“We can’t be certain why bats are negatively affected, but previous research suggests soil can suffer – with knock-on effects for other wildlife – when fertilisers, pesticides and other aspects of conventional farming stop,” said study co-author Penelope Fialas, from the University of Exeter.

Potential negative effects

Fialas suggested that the soil and wider ecosystem might need time to recover from the abrupt cessation of conventional farming inputs.

With these findings at hand, Fialas underlined the importance of carefully managing the transition to organic farming. Avoiding simultaneous transitions at neighboring farms could help wildlife find alternative habitats while each farm switches its methods, thereby reducing potential negative effects on biodiversity.

“We’ve long known that organic farms often harbour higher biodiversity than otherwise similar conventional farms,” said Gareth Jones from the University of Bristol.

“The transition to organic farming has been little studied, however, and determining if the detrimental effects during transition observed here hold for other animals and plants would be an interesting future research project.”

Notably, the study also found that the presence of “semi-natural” areas surrounding the farms did not influence these differences in bat activity. This may challenge some existing beliefs about the mitigating effects of these areas on changes in biodiversity during farming transitions.

The research was partially funded by the University of Göttingen and has been published in the Journal of Applied Ecology.

More : https://www.earth.com/news/hidden-costs-of-organic-farming-wildlife-may-struggle-through-the-transition/

by: Tanner DeLeon/ KFOR

Posted: Jul 26, 2023 / 06:30 AM CDT

Updated: Jul 26, 2023 / 08:18 AM CDT

https://kfor.com/news/local/two-people-caught-on-camera-killing-animals-in-local-pet-store/

OKLAHOMA CITY — Disturbing, that is the word many people used after seeing two kids abuse and kill multiple animals inside Petland.

A parakeet, rabbit, gerbil and guinea pig were among the animals hurt or killed. The owner and employees of Petland were devastated after watching the security footage and one psychologist says seeing that behavior is an immediate red flag.Oklahoma City Police search for suspects in pet store deaths

“Children who are intentionally harming animals is really a significant sign that that child needs professional help,” Dr. Beverly Funderburk, Clinical Psychologist said.

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Dr. Funderburk has dealt with many children who have behavioral issues. She says when dealing with harming animals, the older they are the more serious the issue is.

“It is a real red flag,” Dr. Funderburk said.

Animal Welfare is working the case alongside Oklahoma City Police and they say they deal with several animal cruelty cases a year, but not often are they like this.

“Mostly you’re going to see individual cases that we see every day,” Crystal Slocum, Administrative Specialist with OKC Animal Welfare said. “This type of year with dogs in the back yard being tied to a tree with no water or no shade. These cases are always very heartbreaking, especially in this case.”

The owner of Petland says they have never had anyone come into the store and abuse their animals before.Oklahoma Secretary of Education resigns, cites ‘complexity and political environment’

“We were sickened by this,” Carl Swanson, Owner of Petland said. “Our staff was really impacted by this because they work with these animals. They take care of them every day, and I mean, it hurt.”

Animal welfare says the people responsible will be held accountable.

“These poor little critters didn’t deserve that, so we have to be their voice,” Slocum said. “We have to make sure justice is served for them.”