Abstract
As of October 30, 2024, H5N1 influenza viruses belonging to the B3.13 genotype have infected 394 dairy cattle herds in 14 US states, with spillover into poultry and causing 38 cases in humans with occupational exposure. Efforts to control the outbreak require knowledge of the routes by which B3.13 viruses have spread between US states, counties, and different host species. However, farm-specific data remain scarce. Here, we use Bayesian phylodynamic approaches to reconstruct the B3.13 outbreak in Minnesota during May – July 2024, incorporating genomic sequence data as well as animal movement data. We found that the B3.13 virus was introduced into Minnesota through multiple independent importation events. Most virus importations originated from the neighboring states of South Dakota and Iowa. Using county-level data, we identified transmission clusters indicative of widespread B3.13 transmission across Minnesota’s cattle, turkey, and chicken farms. An additional dataset that catalogues importations of dairy cattle into Minnesota from neighboring states provides finer resolution on how “cattle flows” facilitate the introduction of the B3.13 virus into Minnesota’s counties. Together, these findings provide a detailed understanding of how various US livestock production practices contribute to the spatial spread and interspecies transmission of H5N1 between and within states and counties.
Co-Author(s)
Alvin Crespo-Bellido1, Eleanor Israel1, Sara C. Sequeira2, Carol Cardona3, Marie R. Culhane3, Martha I. Nelson1
1 National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
2 College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
3 College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
Abstract Category
Avian influenza in mammals, pandemic preparedness, and one health