US Bird Flu Alert: Epidemiologists Warn US is 'Unprepared' for Potential Widespread Outbreak

A bird flu alert issued for the United States by epidemiologists recently indicates that the country is "unprepared" for a potential widespread outbreak of the bird-borne disease. According to experts, there are lapses when it comes to reporting and monitoring anthropogenic cases related to avian influenza, which has infected not only birds and mammals but human primates as well recently.

The bird flu warning comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced the second case of a human, involving a Michigan farmworker, infected by the avian influenza virus amid the outbreak as of May 2024. In April, a Texas dairy farmworker was also diagnosed of the illness. The human bird flu cases were reported following a multistate bird flu outbreak in dairy cows.

US Bird Flu Alert

In a statement on Friday, May 24, the CDC not only confirmed the second human case of bird flu in the US but also highlighted the multistate outbreak of the virus.

In its updated US bird flu alert, the health agency noted the spread of the avian influenza to dairy cows and other animals nationwide. In humans, more than 350 individuals are being monitored due to exposure to infected animals.

The current outbreak in the US started in February 2022, as variants of the virus HPAI and H5N1 infected domestic and wild birds. The CDC reported the outbreak has spread to the poultry industry across 48 states. Outside North America, related cases have been reported in South America, Europe, and Asia, as well as in the remote Antarctic region where seabirds and seals became victims as well.

Last week, the CDC also issued new recommendations to local and state health officials pertaining to monitoring the influenza virus over the summer season to further detect human infections of the bird flu virus.

Also Read: Bird Flu Outbreak: Cow Milk May No Longer be Edible Following Detection of Avian Influenza Pathogen in Colorado Dairy Cattle

Influenza as the Next Pandemic?

In April 2024, scientists warn that the influenza pathogen that causes the bird flu disease could pave the way for the world's next pandemic. Reports last month cited a partial consensus among disease experts that a potential strain of the flu virus will trigger the next global outbreak.

Dubbed Disease X, which is still unknown to science, could come at any moment, according to health authorities.

Bird flu is caused by two highly pathogenic avian influenza A viruses, called H5 and H7 pathogens. Due to the widespread infection caused by the influenza virus, including the annual flu season, health experts fear that its continuous mutation can potentially reach a global scale. This threat is based on previous research that influenza pathogens are constantly evolving.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), influenza can most likely cause the next pandemic, making it a public health threat, especially countries in Asia. The emerging threat posed by the bird flu outbreak comes following the devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which killed millions of people, halted travel, and disrupted economies.