May 14, 2024 – So far, bird flu’s unexpected jump to livestock has not emerged as a new human flu pandemic. Yes, a dairy worker got pink eye this year after becoming infected, but a bigger threat to all of us has yet to materialize.
That doesn’t mean experts aren’t keeping a close eye on the situation.
“The current risks to the public from this infection are very low,” said Maximo Brito, MD, MPH, professor of medicine at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago. “The CDC is monitoring unusual flu activity in doctors’ offices and emergency rooms. No significant problems have been identified so far.”
“Just don’t kiss or hug the animals,” advised Tina Tan, MD, who agreed with the risk to the U.S. population bird flu remains low at this point. Tan is a professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, also in Chicago. Both infectious disease experts spoke at a news briefing sponsored by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA).
Infected cows have been reported on 36 farms in nine US states. The federal government requires cows to test negative for bird flu, also known as bird flu, before crossing state lines. But the FBI has no jurisdiction within states. Instead, they offer recommendations to help state leaders, agriculture officials and others contain the outbreak affected farmers pay that have suffered losses in recent months.
The H5N1 virus responsible for bird flu has been circulating among cows since December 2023. The transmission of the virus from wild birds to livestock was a surprise, says Brito, who is also an IDSA fellow.
How safe are milk, eggs and beef?
The FDA tested store milk and found parts of the virus in some samples. Further testing confirmed that pasteurization, the heating procedure most milk goes through before being sold to the public, deactivates the virus.
“So the FDA believes that the U.S. milk supply is currently safe,” Brito said during the May 9 briefing.
At the same time, drinking raw or unpasteurized milk is riskier. “It is very important … to warn the public not to drink unpasteurized or raw milk, that is, milk straight from the cow, without processing,” he said. “There are other diseases, not just flu, that can be spread by drinking unpasteurized milk.”
Don’t touch surfaces that may be contaminated with raw milk or the saliva, mucus or feces of potentially infected animals, officials warn.
In areas where bird flu is prevalent or where birds are sick, cook poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 F. Do not eat raw eggs. In addition, cooking beef to the correct temperature prevents the transmission of infections.
“So far, the virus has not been found in beef,” Brito said.
Okay for now?
The H5N1 virus could develop the ability to pass more easily to humans, “but that’s all speculative at this point,” Brito said. The virus variant circulating among livestock is not an efficient cause of disease in humans. But there can be genetic shifts in these viruses, which has happened before. Additional concern could arise if H5N1 passes to pigs, he said, because their viral receptors are closer to those in humans.
If the virus does spread to people, children may be at greater risk. “As you know, children are very different from adults in that they are much more likely to hug and kiss an animal,” said Tan, who is also president-elect of IDSA.
There are primary schools that have chickens and ducks as school pets. Some families have chickens as pets. “Children also drink a lot of milk, including some children who drink unpasteurized raw milk,” she said.
The Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, where Tan works, is ready if H5N1 starts causing significant infections in children. “We’re going to treat it just like a pandemic flu. We have protocols in place for pandemic flu and for COVID, which could be adjusted towards H5N1 if that were to become a real problem.”
Brito added: “We have not implemented any specific emergency protocols, but we are always monitoring what is happening on the ground.”