Cases of bird flu, otherwise known as avian influenza, have surged in recent months across the U.S., sparking major concerns among health officials and state governments. Infections in both wild birds and domestic poultry are on the rise, and experts worry for the potential of a wider public health crisis or even another pandemic.
Avian influenza is a viral infection that primarily affects birds. While it is rare, the virus can also infect humans and other animals. The most well-known strain is H5N1, which has been responsible for the recent major outbreaks. H5N1 typically starts in wild waterfowl such as ducks and geese. These birds then migrate around the globe, spreading the virus to other animal species until it is eventually introduced within domestic poultry flocks and even U.S. dairy herds. Waves of the flu are typically characterized by high mortality rates in infected flocks and herds (WOAH).
As of now, the CDC has confirmed more than 10,000 detections in wild birds, more than 136 million poultry affected in 51 states, and 928 dairy herds affected in 16 states, with the epicenter being mainly in California (CDC).
On January 6th, the first human death in the U.S. was reported in Louisiana. The patient had been hospitalized last month for H5N1 avian influenza due to exposure to infected chickens, and samples found that the virus mutated, becoming more adapted to infect humans better (John Hopkins). So far, there have been 67 confirmed human cases in the U.S. However, most cases are mild and the public risk remains low, as human-to-human spread has yet to be reported (CDC).
The American food market has also experienced a significant egg shortage due to the flu. Setting a new record, more than 20 million egg-laying chickens have died from H5N1, leading to more empty shelves and higher prices. Officials say that it will take months to replace these flocks, and reports show that prices of eggs saw a 25% increase in December compared to prices in November (CNN).
So, how concerned should we be for bird flu in the future? Will it be the next pandemic? Currently, the general public should not be worried unless they are involved in high-risk activities, such as working on poultry farms or drinking raw, unpasteurized milk. However, public health experts say that the flu’s compatibility with mammals could lead to a mutated strain that would allow it to spread among humans. If someone carries the normal flu and avian flu at the same time, H5N1 can “swap genes” to create a mutation, leading to human-to-human transmission and certainly another pandemic (Medical XPress).
Gabby Wong (10) expresses her concern over the potential threats, saying that “With COVID, we saw how the pandemic affected the lives of many and caused the whole world to be in a crisis. It would be horrible to have to live through another global disease outbreak.”
On Friday, the federal government awarded Moderna with $590 million to help speed up the development of a vaccine for bird flu. Scientists are currently working on using mRNA technology to combat the spread of the flu and the strains that are circulating right now (ABC News).
