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Bird Flu: What To Know As Worries About A Pandemic Start
Concerns about bird flu and another pandemic are growing again with an increase in avian flu cases among animals.
So far, only one human case of bird flu was reported in Texas this year and 52 total in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A teenager in Canada was confirmed in the last week to have bird flu, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada, which added that the risk to the public remains low.
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"Furthermore, the genotype of H5N1 avian influenza in dairy cattle in the U.S. Is not the same as the genotype confirmed in the domestically acquired human case in British Columbia," the agency wrote on its website.
In the U.S. In late October, H5N1 bird flu was confirmed in a pig in Oregon, the first detection of the virus in swine in the country, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Poultry and swine on a backyard farm shared water sources, housing and equipment, which all serve as pathways for transmitting the virus between animals, the agency noted at the time.
Bird flu has infected nearly 450 dairy farms in 15 states since March, including those in Texas, Kansas and New Mexico, according to USDA data.
Despite the recent animal and human cases, CDC officials say the public health risk is low, but they are watching the situation carefully and working with states to monitor people with animal exposures.
Some flu viruses mainly affect people, but others chiefly occur in animals. Avian viruses spread naturally in wild aquatic birds — such as ducks and geese — and then to chickens and other domesticated poultry.
The bird flu virus — Type A H5N1 — was first identified in 1959. Like other viruses, it has evolved over time, spawning newer versions of itself.
In the U.S., this version of the bird flu has been detected in wild birds in every state, as well as in commercial poultry operations and backyard flocks. The first case of H5N1 in Texas was confirmed in April 2022.
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Since 2020, the virus has spread among more animal species — including livestock, dogs, cats, skunks, bears, and even seals and porpoises — in scores of countries.
Nationwide, tens of millions of chickens have died from the virus or been killed to stop outbreaks from spreading.
This bird flu was first identified as a threat to people during a 1997 outbreak in Hong Kong.
In the past two decades, about 900 people have been diagnosed globally with bird flu, and more than 460 people have died, according to the World Health Organization.
In April, Texas health officials announced that a person who had been in contact with cows had been diagnosed with bird flu. Their only reported symptom was eye redness.
The vast majority of infected people have gotten it directly from birds, but scientists are on guard for any sign of spread among people.
There have been a few instances when that apparently happened — most recently in 2007 in Asia. In each cluster, it spread within families from a sick person in the home.
Symptoms are similar to that of other flus, including a sore throat, cough, stuffy or runny nose, body aches and fever.
Other but less common signs and symptoms include diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting, according to the CDC. Some people don't have noticeable symptoms, but others develop severe, life-threatening pneumonia.
People with symptoms are usually told to isolate and are given antiviral treatment. The risk of person-to-person transmission is considered low.
"The spread of bird flu viruses from one infected person to a close contact is very rare, and when it has happened, it has only spread to a few people," the CDC says.
Related:Dallas County's new chief medical examiner will make history as 1st woman to hold the roleEarlier this month, CDC officials said farm workers exposed to animals with bird flu should be tested for the virus even if they do not have symptoms.
The change to the agency's testing recommendation came as the USDA began expanding its testing of milk for bird flu.
The USDA is testing bulk raw milk in states where dairy cattle have contracted bird flu. The move came at the urging of livestock and veterinary groups. USDA will then begin testing in states that have not identified the virus in dairy cows, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told Reuters.
The move adds to an emergency order issued in April that requires testing of cattle moving across state lines, and a USDA program that covers farmers' costs for voluntary testing.
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