May 14, 2024 – So far, the unexpected surge of avian influenza in cattle has not manifested as a new human influenza pandemic. While it’s true that dairy workers have been infected this year, the bigger threat to all of us has yet to materialize.
That doesn’t mean experts aren’t monitoring the situation closely.
“Right now, the public risk for this infection is very low,” said Maximo Brito, MD, MPH, a professor of medicine at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago. “CDC is monitoring clinics and emergency rooms for unusual influenza activity. So far, no significant problems have been detected.”
“Don’t kiss or hug animals,” recommended Dr. Tina Tan, who agreed with the risks to the American public. Avian influenza It remains low for now. Tan is a professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, also in Chicago. Both infectious disease experts spoke at a press conference hosted by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA).
Infected cattle have been reported on 36 farms in nine US states. The federal government requires cattle to test negative for avian influenza (also known as avian influenza) before crossing state lines. However, the federal government has no jurisdiction within the states. Instead, they are making recommendations to help state leaders, agriculture officials and others contain the outbreak. make payments to affected farmers People who have suffered losses in recent months.
The H5N1 virus behind bird flu has been circulating among cattle since December 2023. It was surprising that the virus could be transmitted from wild birds to cattle, said Brito, who is also an IDSA fellow.
How safe are milk, eggs, and beef?
The FDA tested retail milk and found some of the virus in some samples. Further testing confirmed that pasteurization, a heating procedure that occurs before most milk is sold to the public, inactivates the virus.
“Therefore, FDA believes the U.S. milk supply is safe at this time,” Brito said at a May 9 briefing.
At the same time, drinking raw or unpasteurized milk is risky. “It is very important…to warn the public to refrain from drinking unpasteurized or raw milk, that is, milk that is extracted directly from the cow without any processing,” he said. “In addition to influenza, there are other diseases that can be transmitted by drinking unpasteurized milk.”
Officials warn against touching surfaces that may be contaminated with raw milk or saliva, mucus or feces from potentially infected animals.
In areas where avian influenza or avian diseases are occurring, cook chicken and eggs to an internal temperature of 165°F. Don’t eat raw eggs. Cooking beef at the correct temperature also prevents the spread of infection.
“So far, no virus has been found in beef,” Brito said.
Are you okay for now?
The H5N1 virus may evolve the ability to more easily infect humans, but “that’s all speculation at this point,” Brito said. Variants of the virus circulating among cattle are not effective causes of disease in humans. But genetic mutations can exist in these viruses, and this has happened before. He said there could be further concerns if the H5N1 virus were to infect pigs, as pigs’ virus receptors are similar to those in humans.
Children may be at increased risk if the virus is transmitted to humans. “You know, children are very different from adults in that they are much more likely to hug and kiss animals,” said Tan, who is also IDSA’s president-elect.
Some elementary schools keep chickens and ducks as school pets. Some families keep chickens as pets. “Children also drink a lot of milk, and some of them drink raw, unpasteurized milk,” she says.
The Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, where Tan works, is prepared in case H5N1 starts causing serious infections in children. “We’re going to treat this much the same way we treat pandemic influenza. We have protocols in place for pandemic influenza and COVID-19, and we can adjust for H5N1 if it becomes a real issue. can.”
Brito added: “We do not have specific emergency protocols in place, but we are constantly monitoring what is happening on the ground.”
https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20240514/experts-watching-bird-flu-in-case-it-takes-off?src=RSS_PUBLIC
