#69 What is bird flu?

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Your faithful writer,
Dr. Daniel Smith

I have some good news and bad news.

The good news is that COVID hospitalizations are at their lowest level in the four years (!) since we first heard about COVID.

The bad news? Another pandemic might be right around the corner.

Avian influenza or the H5N1 virus (more commonly known as bird flu) is spreading among non-bird animals, with cows in some dairy farms in Texas and Colorado testing positive for the virus this week.

One man who worked at a Texas dairy farm even tested positive for H5N1 last month. Thankfully, he only experienced mild symptoms and recovered quickly.

Holy cow: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found remnants of the avian influenza virus in 20% of pasteurized milk samples from across the U.S., signaling that a higher percentage of U.S. dairy cows were infected by the virus than was initially believed.

The pasteurization process killed the virus, but the widespread presence of these viral remnants in America’s milk is quite concerning.

The Center for Disease Control, which is monitoring other dairy workers who were exposed to the infected cattle, said that the virus poses a “low risk to the general public” but that it does have “pandemic potential.”

So, what is bird flu and should we be worried about it?

Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, is a viral infection that primarily affects birds, particularly wild birds like ducks and geese, as well as domestic poultry such as chickens and turkeys.

The H5N1 strain, which is known as Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), is particularly contagious and potentially deadly to birds. It is notable because it spreads easily between wild and domestic bird populations.

While most avian influenza viruses do not infect humans, certain strains have the potential to cross the species barrier and cause infection in humans.

This usually occurs through direct contact with infected birds or their droppings, as well as through contact with surfaces contaminated with the virus.

Avian Influenza and Eggflation

It’s worth noting that H5N1 has already killed millions of birds around the world as it has spread among wild and domesticated bird populations. (See the chart below from 2022.)

Economic data (see below) has even shown that outbreaks of H5N1 on American poultry farms contributed to the sky-rocketing egg prices that many saw in 2022.

In an op-ed for the New York Times published this weekend, journalist Alex Tey argued that humanity may be responsible for the growing threat of avian influenza:

Should we be worried?

One of the main concerns regarding avian influenza is the possibility of a strain acquiring the ability for sustained human-to-human transmission.

A small study found that direct exposure to a large dose of the H5N1 virus was deadly for macaque monkeys, indicating that humans may be similarly vulnerable to the virus.

Avian influenza viruses have the potential to undergo genetic reassortment or mutation, leading to the emergence of new strains with increased transmissibility or virulence.

This evolutionary capability makes avian influenza a constant threat that requires ongoing surveillance and preparedness efforts to prevent or mitigate potential outbreaks.

Thankfully, our government is making an effort to help deal with a potential outbreak. Last week, the Biden Administration said that it will provide almost $200M in funding to deal with the spread of H5N1 among dairy cows.

CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook said that only people who work “in close contact with potentially infected animals” or who drink unpasteurized milk need to worry about getting infected with bird flu at the moment.

But, he did warn that:

ART OF THE DAY

Thank you for reading. Please reply to this email if you have any thoughts or feedback.

Yours,
Dan