The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is asking states to prepare for more cases of bird flu by preparing to test at-risk people for the virus, but insists the risk to the general public remains low, reports Reuters . This comes after a dairy worker in Texas contracted bird flu, also known as bird flu, which has been spreading among cattle in the state, as well as in Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico and Ohio. Bird flu has not spread to others so far, but it has been detected in wild birds, including several geese, in New York City parks and green spaces, according to a study. new studyand there are renewed fears about infection of other mammals.
How worried should you be about bird flu and what it could mean for the food supply? Here’s what you need to know.
What is bird flu?
Avian flu – clinically known as influenza A (H5N1) – is a variation of the flu virus that spreads mainly between birds and birds and can be highly contagious and even fatal among birds, according to the CDC. Occasionally, the virus will pass to other animals if they eat infected birds or drink water contaminated by the feces of infected birds, which CDC it says. This has become more common in recent years. Viruses are constantly mutating, and the more they spread, the more they mutate. A recent family of variants may be particularly capable of infecting other animals, including cattle, according to the World Health Organization.
It is rare for the virus to infect humans, and when it does, it is usually confined to a person who has been in close contact with an infected animal and does not spread to other people. Bird flu can cause mild to severe illness in humans and has the potential to cause pneumonia and severe, sometimes fatal, lung inflammation. Since 2020, there have been 26 human cases confirmed by the WHOseven of which were fatal.
What is happening now?
The CDC continues to urge calm and considers the risk to the general public low, but on April 5, the agency requested that state health departments begin preparing in case more people become infected.
Until now the US Department of Agriculture confirmed that there are 12 infected dairy herds in Texas, four in Kansas, six in New Mexico and Michigan, and one each in Idaho, North Carolina, Ohio and South Dakota. Cases in birds in New York City parks and green spaces have also been confirmed by Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
The infected person in Texas was diagnosed after developing conjunctivitis, or pink eye. It is only the second human case of bird flu in the US; the first was a poultry farm worker who was infected in 2022 while slaughtering infected birds and recovered after experiencing only mild fatigue. Eye inflammation is the currently infected person’s only symptom and they are receiving antiviral medication.
Other dairy and poultry farm workers are the CDC’s primary concern at this time. The agency asked state health officials to take steps such as ensuring bird flu tests were available to confirm possible infections. He also said health officials should stay in close contact with veterinarians and agriculture department officials and asked to be notified of any “challenges” states encounter.
Although agricultural workers are at greatest risk due to their frequent proximity to potentially infected animals, the study authors from the Icahn School of Medicine cautioned that it is not impossible for city residents to be exposed. “Our work highlights that the interface between animals and humans that can give rise to zoonotic infections” – germs that spread between animals and people – “or even pandemics are not limited to rural environments and commercial poultry operations, but extend to the heart of our urban centers,” the researchers wrote.
What are the risks to humans?
For the general public, the risk remains low, the CDC it says. Bird flu has never been very good at spreading from person to person, so it’s unlikely to spread. The virus would have to mutate in some specific and important ways to make this possible. The good news is that it does not haveaccording to preliminary tests of a virus sample from the infected person, who has only mild symptoms.
What does this mean for our food and milk?
Bird flu has been detected in laying hens and dairy cows on some US farms. It has also been found in unpasteurized milk. But the USDA states that “there is no concern about the safety of the commercial milk supply because the products are pasteurized before entering the market.” Pasteurization is a partial sterilization process that is effective in killing harmful viruses and bacteria, including bird flu. You should not consume unpasteurized milk or cheese in any way, which CDC warns, because they present a risk of infections such as listeria. The CDC also notes that the risk of being infected by eating eggs is low and cooking them properly would kill any viruses anyway.
Farms are banned from selling products – including milk and eggs – from sick animals, so contaminated food is unlikely to end up on supermarket shelves. The most likely impact of the avian influenza outbreak on animals in the food supply is rising prices. Egg prices soared as chickens were slaughtered or died, limiting the supply of eggs. Milk prices may see increases, but are stable so far.
Are there vaccines and treatments against bird flu?
Two vaccine candidates – drafts of what would become vaccines – appear to be good matches for the current strain of bird flu, the Washington Post reports. The US federal government has a stockpile of enough doses to vaccinate a fifth of the American population, officials said Barron’s. However, the vaccines are in the clinical testing phase, so it is unclear how effective they will be. Antiviral medications can also be used to treat bird flu, although the CDC says some bird flu variants first found in Asia don’t respond as well to these treatments.
Dr. Arnaldo Montoprofessor emeritus of epidemiology at the University of Michigan and member of the FDA vaccine committee, told Yahoo Life that US bird flu vaccines require adjuvants, ingredients that enhance human immune responses. An official at the Department of Health and Human Services also told the Washington Post that components of the vaccines are being tested and would likely take weeks or months before they are ready for widespread distribution. Monto adds that the vaccine would also likely only be given to those who are at high risk – poultry and dairy workers – since there is no evidence that bird flu spreads between humans.
How can I avoid bird flu?
Avoid close or prolonged contact with wild birds, livestock or any other animals suspected of being infected. The CDC also recommends avoiding surfaces that may be contaminated with raw milk, animal feces, trash, or anything else that may have crossed the path of an infected animal.
Cooking poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165˚F will kill any viruses. It is also recommended that milk consumers consume only pasteurized milk to avoid contracting bird flu or other viruses or bacteria from raw foods, and to avoid raw or undercooked foods from animals that may be infected with bird flu.
This article was originally published on April 4, 2024. It has since been updated.
