What is happening in US with these Bird Flu outbreaks?

Bird flu outbreak spreads to mammals and even house pets like cats

In recent months, bird flu has been mentioned too often for us not to worry about. The CDC reported back in April that human cases in the US have been recorded. The initial incidents were reported in dairy farms where infected dairy cows and contact with them caused issues for mammals and humans.

WHO warned people about the possible spread of bird flu the same month. The biggest concern was the evolution of this virus itself. Experts warned that this virus can infect mammals on land and sea, so the possibility of affecting humans is also there. Reports surfaced about mammals like cows, cats, and even dolphins. At the time, experts reported that cow-to-cow transmission may occur due to the cows coming into contact with raw milk^[1].

Humans were warned about the possible spread to animals like pets that consume unpasteurized milk. Various agencies remained alert about the virus and began testing beef samples from grocery stores and test ground beef cooked at different temperatures. At the end of April, the WHO reported that "there is a risk for cows in other countries to get infected".

The bird flu virus was first identified in humans in Hong Kong in 1997, but so far, there has been no documented human-to-human transmission. Over the past two decades, fewer than 1,000 human cases have been reported, though more than half of those infected have died, as reported by The Times.

"There is still a great deal of uncertainty about when the virus might mutate to allow human-to-human transmission," said Dr. Jay Varma, an epidemiologist formerly with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in an interview with the newspaper.

How people get exposed to bird flu is unclear, even when the issue becomes more severe

Even though many bird flu incidents were reported due to contact with dairy products, the FDA confirmed that dairy products are still safe to consume. The Department of Agriculture tested various store samples, which returned negative results. However, issues with bird flu spreading continued into May, when it was reported that 70 people in Colorado were observed for the bird flu virus^[2].

FDA had to react to the growing numbers and announced the additional 8 million dollar commitment to ensure the commercial milk supply is safe. At the same time, other departments and experts announced their additional funding to help mitigate the spread of the disease. More news came out about the states of US that have faced the issue of bird flu.

Alaska, California, Florida, Illinois, and Kansas had unusually high cases, but the question was how the virus was spread or what subtype it belonged to. However, this was no longer the case in the US. Australia reported its first human case of bird flu in mid-May. The child was infected in March after the visit to India. Not long after this news, Michingan reported bird flu in a farmworker, the second US human case tied to transmission from dairy cows.

A few weeks later, Michigan reported another bird flu case in a human. That involved a dairy farm worker, and these cases were not connected. However, this was the first case when the person experienced respiratory symptoms. These cases raised more concerns. Later, dozens of cows were infected with bird flu and died or were slaughtered in Ocio, Colorado, South Carolina, and Texas.

New York City is already preparing for a possible bird flu outbreak

The month of June revealed that this is no longer an issue in the United States only. The WHO announced that a four-year-old child in India was infected with a certain H9N2 bird flu type. This is a different strain from the H5N1 type that is investigated more often. The child recovered after suffering from seizures, respiratory distress, fever and abdominal cramps. This particular subtype has been reported to 100 people globally since 1998.

Although the issue was not announced globally or reached the pandemic state, people, countries, and states started to prepare for the worst before it escalated. According to The New York Times, New York City officials are gearing up to handle a potential bird flu outbreak, specifically the H5N1 virus, recently found in local bird populations.

The New York City Virus Hunters, a community science group, discovered avian flu in samples collected in 2022 and 2023. This finding has raised concerns about the possibility of the virus eventually infecting people in the city. Additionally, avian flu has been detected in dairy cattle herds across a dozen states, leading New York's agricultural department to mandate testing for any dairy cattle appearing at county fairs^[3].

While some experts worry about the lack of widely available testing kits for the virus, a spokesperson for the city Health Department reassured that the state’s public health laboratory has more than enough testing capacity for H5N1, with the ability to process several hundred specimens daily and additional surge capacity if required.

Dr. David Silvestri, an emergency room physician who also coordinates the city's emergency and disaster response, mentioned that many challenges in pandemic response have been addressed due to the experience gained during the COVID-19 pandemic. "In an absolute worst-case scenario, we could use the same strategies," he said.

The issue goes global: Finland plans to begin vaccinating vulnerable populations

The bird flu outbreak sounds like something from a sci-fi movie, but these recent outbreaks and growing numbers of cases in various parts of the world indicate that the issue is real. The main problems were reported in the US, but other parts of the world decided to react their way. Finland now plans to offer preemptive bird flu vaccination. This might be introduced as soon as next month^[4].

This step makes Finland the first country worldwide to react to this outbreak. The country has already bought vaccines for around 10,000 people, each consisting of two injections. This is part of a joint EU procurement of around 40 million doses from the manufacturer CSL Seqirus for 15 nations. The Australian company stated that Finland would be the first country to roll out this vaccine.

"The vaccine will be available for anyone 18 and older who is at higher risk of getting bird flu because of their job or other situations," the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) announced. The H5N1 bird flu strain has led to the death of hundreds of millions of poultry worldwide in recent years.

It has also started spreading to mammals, including cows in the United States, and occasionally to humans, so the issue might escalate quickly. According to THL, Finland has not found the virus in humans so far. However, the country is keen to start vaccinations due to the risk posed by its fur farms.

"In Finland, the situation is unique because we have fur farms where animals can come into contact with wildlife," Chief Physician Hanna Nohynek of THL said in an interview with Reuters.

Last year, large outbreaks of bird flu among mink and foxes at Finland's mostly open-air fur farms led to the culling of around 485,000 animals to prevent the virus from spreading further among animals and potentially to humans. A spokesperson said vaccinations are expected to begin in some areas of Finland as early as next month. The country has secured vaccines for at-risk workers, including workers at fur and poultry farms, lab technicians handling bird flu samples, and veterinarians working in areas with fur farms.

Vaccines will also be offered to people working in wild bird sanctuaries, livestock farms, and facilities that process animal by-products. Additionally, close contacts of anyone suspected or confirmed to have bird flu will also be offered the vaccine.