2nd case of bird flu puts virus on radar

While the risk to people remains low, there are implications for consumers as the virus surfaces.

In the wake of bird flu showing up in cattle, chickens and the second human case ever reported in the U.S., agriculture and health officials in Georgia said Thursday it has still not surfaced in any animals or people here.

On Monday, it was reported a dairy worker in Texas was being treated for bird flu. The infection, described as mild, came days after the virus was discovered in dairy cows in Texas. It’s the first known case globally of a person catching this version of bird flu — known as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) — from a mammal, federal health officials said. Federal officials and scientists stress the risk to the public still remains low, and there is no sign bird flu is spreading person to person.

But for consumers, the reappearance of bird flu in animals that are part of the food supply could have food safety and supply chain implications in the U.S.

The virus has been found for the first time in dairy herds in five states — Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico and Texas — according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In addition to cattle, the largest producer of fresh eggs in the U.S. located in Texas along with another Michigan poultry facility have reported outbreaks of avian flu this week.

According to FDA and USDA, there are no concerns with the safety of the commercial milk supply because products are pasteurized before entering the market. Dairies are required to send only milk from healthy animals into processing for human consumption.

It’s less clear whether raw, unpasteurized dairy products could pose a hazard if cows are infected with bird flu. FDA has long warned against consuming unpasteurized, raw milk, which can pose serious health risks to consumers, and FDA is reminding consumers of the risk with raw milk consumption in light of the HPAI detections.

The egg industry — which has dealt with bird flu outbreaks in the past — already is experiencing some tightening of supply following detections of bird flu late in 2023 and in early January, said Marc Dresner, a spokesperson for the American Egg Board. Still, even with the nearly 2 million birds that were killed in Texas, Dresner said there are an estimated 310 million egg laying hens in the U.S., and wholesale egg prices are down about 25% from a February peak.

Eggs that are properly handled and cooked are safe to eat, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Dr. Mandy Cohen, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in an interview Wednesday the agency is taking bird flu seriously but stressed the virus has already been well studied.

“The fact that it is in cattle now definitely raises our concern level,” Cohen said, noting it means farmworkers who work with cattle — and not just those working with birds — may need to take precautions.

The good news is “it’s not a new strain of the virus,” Cohen added. “This is known to us and we’ve been studying it, and frankly, we’ve been preparing for avian flu for 20 years.”

Here in Georgia, agriculture officials say there have been no reports of the virus in Georgia’s dairy cows, and no recent reports of the virus in poultry.

“We have not had any reports of HPAI in Georgia dairy cattle nor have we had any confirmations in poultry since November of last year,” Matthew Agvent, communications director for the Georgia Department of Agriculture, said this week. “Our team is in constant communication with

USDA and FDA as well as our key stakeholders on the ground in Georgia to reinforce the need for enhanced biosecurity measures and relay new information as it comes to light.”

“The risk to the general public remains low, and Georgia consumers can and should feel confident in the safety of dairy products available for sale in our state,” Agvent said.

Milk from affected animals is being diverted or destroyed so it does not enter the human food supply.

A spokeswoman for the Georgia Department of Public Health also said Thursday there have been no cases of the virus in humans here nor are there any suspected cases being investigated.

According to the state Department of Natural Resources, HPAI was detected in wild birds in Georgia and across much of the U.S. in 2022, but by mid-winter 2023 cases in Georgia had disappeared. The disease has particularly affected waterfowl such as ducks and geese, and scavenging species such as vultures and bald eagles. The department continues to compile reports of suspicious bird deaths on its website.

The only previous human case in the U.S. was found in 2022 when a poultry worker in Colorado tested positive. The person was involved in culling poultry infected with bird flu. They reported fatigue for a few days as their only symptom and recovered, according to the CDC.

Avian influenza viruses are classified as either “low pathogenic” or “highly pathogenic” based on their genetic features and the severity of the disease they cause in poultry, according to USDA. In addition to birds and poultry, H5N1 viruses have been detected in a variety of wild and domesticated mammals in the U.S., which USDA tracks.

Preliminary analysis of the flu virus in the cattle has not found changes in the viruses that would make them resistant to current FDA-approved flu antiviral medications, the CDC said.

ROGELIO V. SOLIS/AP 2020 The largest producer of fresh eggs in the U.S. said this past Tuesday it has stopped production at a Texas plant after bird flu was found in chickens at the facility in Parmer County.

SMILEY N. POOL/DALLAS MORNING NEWS The National Veterinary Services Laboratories has confirmed the presence of bird flu in a Michigan herd that recently received cows from Texas, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said March 29.