(TheProudRepublic.com) – The deadly avian influenza H5N1 strain is continuing to cause chaos across the US, with its latest outbreaks confirmed in Hawaii, California, and Arizona.
See the tweet below.
Hawaii has become the 49th state to report an H5N1 outbreak in poultry since early 2022, with only Louisiana remaining unaffected.
This situation is raising alarming questions about the government’s ability to handle this growing crisis.
The Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) confirmed the virus in ducks and geese on a backyard farm in Oahu, matching the strain found in dairy cows and domestic poultry on the mainland.
Meanwhile, California is grappling with a surge of outbreaks, with 41 more confirmed on dairy farms, affecting over one-fourth of the state’s farms.
The Golden State has reported a staggering 27 human cases and bird flu in 335 dairy farms, raising concerns about the potential for cross-species infections.
Arizona has also been affected by this avian menace, reporting its first outbreak in commercial poultry at a layer farm in Pinal County.
As the virus continues to spread, health experts are sounding the alarm about potential risks to humans and calling for enhanced federal surveillance efforts.
Sam Scarpino, PhD, director of AI and life sciences at Northeastern University in Boston, stated:
“From ducks and geese in Hawaii and dairy cows in California to human cases in the U.S. and a severe human infection in Canada, it’s clear that the avian influenza outbreak is getting worse, not better.”
Transmission among humans has not been widely observed, and the last documented human-to-human spread was over 15 years ago.
While health officials claim the risk to the general public is low, they admit that farm workers are at the highest risk and those in close contact with poultry may face heightened risks and should practice preventative measures.
“We also need to ensure that farm workers are protected and should strongly consider offering them access to H5N1 vaccines,” Scarpino added.
Experts are calling for immediate federal action on testing and vaccination strategies to protect both animals and those working in the farming sector.
Yet, the Biden-Harris administration’s response has been woefully inadequate, leaving states to fend for themselves in the face of this growing threat.
USDA confirms domestic flock infected with bird flu in Hawaii https://t.co/gzNPi49Ehk pic.twitter.com/WVvftSqJZV
— Reuters (@Reuters) November 18, 2024
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