Disrupting the growing bird flu situation in the United States

California officials have declared a state of emergency due to an increase in infections in dairy cows and the outbreak of bird flu, which has caused sporadic illness in humans in the United States.

This raises new questions about the virus, which has been circulating in wild birds, commercial birds and many mammal species for years.

The virus, known as Type A H5N1, was first detected in dairy cattle in the United States in March. Since then, bird flu has been confirmed in at least 866 flocks in 16 states.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 60 people in eight states have been infected, most of them mild. US health officials said this week that a person in Louisiana was hospitalized with the first known severe illness caused by the virus.

Here’s what you need to know.

Why did California declare a state of emergency?

Gov. Gavin Newsom said he declared a state of emergency to improve state staffing and supplies to respond to the outbreak.

California is looking for bird flu in large milk tanks during processing. And they found the virus in at least 650 herds, about three-quarters of all affected U.S. dairy herds.

WATCH | Why does WHO want more animal control of H5N1?

WHO says control of H5N1 in animal populations is “stronger”.

World Health Organization director for epidemic and pandemic preparedness Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove calls for increased global surveillance of animal populations known to be susceptible to H5N1, including wild birds, poultry, pigs and livestock.

The virus was recently detected on Southern California dairy farms after being detected in the state’s Central Valley since August.

“This announcement is a deliberate move to ensure that government agencies have the resources and flexibility needed to quickly respond to this outbreak,” Newsom said in a statement.

What is the threat to the general public?

CDC officials this week reiterated that the virus poses a low risk to the general public.

Importantly, there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission, and there is no indication that the virus spreads more easily between humans.

In general, flu experts agreed with that assessment, saying it was too early to tell what trajectory the epidemic would take.

“There’s going to be a completely unsatisfying answer: I don’t think we know yet,” said St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital flu specialist Richard Webby.

But virologists are cautious, because flu viruses are constantly mutating, and small genetic changes can change the outlook.

Are things getting more serious?

This week, health officials confirmed the first known case of the severe illness in the U.S. All previous cases in the U.S. — there have been about 60 — have generally been mild.

A Louisiana patient over the age of 65 with underlying medical conditions is in critical condition. Few details were released, but authorities said the person developed severe respiratory symptoms after being exposed to the sick birds’ backyard.

This makes it the first confirmed U.S. infection linked to backyard birds, the CDC said.

Tests showed that the strain that causes human disease is found in wild birds, but not in livestock. Last month, Canadian health officials announced that a teenager in B.C. had been hospitalized with severe bird flu, a strain of the virus found in wild birds.

Previous infections in the United States have been almost entirely in farm workers who had direct contact with infected dairy cattle or poultry. In the two cases — and an adult in Missouri and a child in California — health officials have not determined how they caught it.

Dr. Johns Hopkins Health Security Center’s chief scientist and infectious diseases doctor in Baltimore. Amesh Adaljia said H5N1 does not currently pose a threat to the general public, but that doesn’t mean it should be completely ignored. exposed to farm workers.

“We’ve only really had one severe case in the U.S. and we understand why most cases are mild, which is a big problem,” Adaljia told CBC News.

Adalgia said the incident in B.C. was a strain more closely related to those roaming the geese, while the version in Louisiana was more closely related to those roaming the poultry.

How can people protect themselves?

According to the CDC and other experts, people who come into contact with dairy cows, commercial poultry or backyard birds are at higher risk and should use precautions, including respiratory and eye protection and gloves.

“If birds start to get sick or die, they need to be very careful about how they treat these animals,” said Michael Osterholm, a public health disease specialist at the University of Minnesota.

The CDC paid for the flu vaccine to protect farm workers against seasonal flu — and against the risk that workers could be infected with two types of flu at the same time, potentially allowing the bird flu virus to mutate and become more dangerous. The US government also said that farm workers who come into close contact with infected animals should be tested and offered antiviral drugs, even if they show no symptoms.

Dr. Jesse Papenburg, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Montreal Children’s Hospital, said Canadians should be aware of the increased risk of exposure and infection to humans who come into contact with poultry and wild waterfowl, other animals or their environments.

“Have a lot of situational awareness of flu-like illness, especially as Canada moves into flu season with the United States,” Adalja said.

How else does bird flu spread?

In addition to direct contact with farm animals and wild birds, the H5N1 virus can be spread in raw milk. According to the US Food and Drug Administration, pasteurized milk is safe to drink because the heat treatment kills the virus.

However, high levels of the virus were detected in unpasteurized milk. And two stamps raw milk The products sold in stores in California have been recalled in recent weeks after the virus was detected on farms and crops.

County officials in Los Angeles say two indoor cats fed the recalled raw milk have died from bird flu infections. Authorities were investigating additional reports sick cats.

Health officials are urging people to avoid drinking raw milk, which can spread many germs in addition to bird flu.

The USDA has stepped up testing of raw milk across the country to help detect and prevent outbreaks. A federal order issued this month requires testing that began this week in 13 states.