It was a quiet summer for bird flu: Egg prices fell a bit, fewer sick poultry flocks were culled on farms, and officials took a breath.
Bird flu is spreading again, now that wild water fowl — geese, ducks and cranes — have begun their seasonal migrations.
In poultry, bird flu cases are spiking earlier than expected.
A scenario in which a person gets infected with both H5N1 and seasonal flu at the same time could be problematic because it would enable the bird flu virus to more easily rearrange its genetic code to suit humans.
The biotech company Moderna was developing a bird flu vaccine that used the mRNA platform, but the Department of Health and Human Services canceled its grant.
The summer was calm for bird flu: officials took a break, egg prices slightly decreased, and fewer sick poultry flocks were killed on farms.
“It was beautiful,” said Shauna Voss, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health’s assistant director.
However, it didn’t last.
Now that wild water birds, including geese, ducks, and cranes, have started their seasonal migrations, bird flu is spreading once more. During their journey, the birds interact at ponds and lakes and spread viruses.
Bird flu cases in poultry are increasing earlier than anticipated. Over 4 million poultry birds have been killed in the past month in states like Minnesota and Iowa after flock members tested positive for the H5N1 virus. A rise in infections found in wild birds in northern states is correlated with the trend.
Some state officials are anticipating a difficult fall, when cases have historically increased.
“We had our first confirmed positive last week,” stated Mike Naig, the secretary of agriculture for Iowa. The case took place in Calhoun County on a turkey farm. Therefore, the question for us is what kind of fall we can expect and how widespread it will be. “.”.
He added that it is too soon to predict how the outbreaks will affect egg prices.
“We’ll just have to wait and see,” is the only truthful response. “I wish I could give you more,” Naig remarked.
Bird flu infections have increased for the fourth consecutive fall, which suggests the virus is spreading among wild birds and may pose a persistent risk to poultry.
It isn’t going away. “It appears to be quite embedded,” Voss remarked.
There is a chance that the virus will find a way to easily infect people as it spreads. Some experts worry that the Trump administration’s cuts to mRNA research could make it more difficult for researchers to quickly create a new vaccine if that becomes an issue. But for the time being, there is little risk to people’s health.
Authorities, wildlife specialists, and virologists are in a watch-and-wait situation as fall approaches.
“This is an intriguing moment,” stated Declan Schroeder, an associate professor of virology at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Minnesota. People are eagerly anticipating what will happen. “.”.
For the first time, avian influenza was found in a U. S. . commercial flock in February 2022, following a period of time spent in wild birds. Poultry birds are nearly always killed by the virus, and as of this summer, over 175 million birds had been killed or culled. A number of adjustments to farm procedures and milk testing were made after scientists were shocked to learn two years ago that bird flu had infected dairy cows and was present in raw, unpasteurized milk.
At least 70 people have contracted the infection, the majority of whom were farmworkers who had close contact with cows or birds. A single person lost their life.
Scientists believe that wild birds can transmit the disease to poultry farms in a few different ways, including direct contact, contaminating feed, or workers bringing contaminated materials into barns. Migration season can therefore be a powerful catalyst.
Michael Ward, a professor of environmental sciences and natural resources at the University of Illinois who specializes in migration, stated that “the math suggests it’s going to spread really fast if you have one sick bird that moves over an area and infects some others.”.
Habitat constraints are forcing birds to gather and share space, increasing the likelihood of viral spread, Ward continued. Wetland habitat in Illinois has decreased as a result of the state’s drought.
According to Ward, “it’s the ideal combination for disease to appear.”.
When asked how the federal government intends to address the increase in bird flu cases, the U.S. A. The Department of Agriculture mentioned a five-pronged plan it unveiled in February, which included $100 million for studies into novel biosecurity techniques and the creation of poultry vaccines.
While France and other nations have already begun vaccinating poultry birds, the USDA stated that it is still assessing whether the U.S. S. . must do so. Such a vaccine has not been approved by the agency, and its introduction would impact U. S. . exported goods.
As stated by Naig in Iowa, “We firmly think that a successful vaccination strategy would be very beneficial for the egg and turkey producers, but we understand that it has to be done carefully to ensure there is no impact to other markets.”. “USDA has given this some thought, and we’re currently waiting to see what that vaccination approach might entail. “.”.
For a long time, scientists have been worried that the bird flu virus may eventually become capable of efficiently spreading from person to person. Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco who specializes in infectious diseases, advised people to take simple precautions to avoid contracting the seasonal flu and H5N1, even though the risk to humans is currently low.
Get vaccinated against influenza. Avoid consuming raw milk and unpasteurized cheese, especially during cases that are in circulation. “Avoid letting your cats eat outdoors during the migratory bird season,” Chin-Hong advised.
A situation where a person contracts both seasonal flu and H5N1 at the same time could be problematic as it would allow the bird flu virus to more easily modify its genetic code to fit humans.
Chin-Hong regrets the departure of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s H5N1 coordination calls with healthcare providers this spring. He opposes the Trump administration’s cutoff of funding for mRNA vaccine research and hopes the agency will make more calls. Moderna, a biotech company, was using the mRNA platform to develop a bird flu vaccine, but the Department of Health and Human Services revoked its grant.
A request for comment from the CDC was not answered.
