A global outbreak of H5N1 bird flu that began in 2020 has experts concerned about the possibility of the virus mutating and spreading to humans. Recent outbreaks among cattle in several U.S. states have raised alarms as the virus has been increasingly infecting mammals on land and at sea. The World Health Organization’s chief scientist, Jeremy Farrar, warned that the virus could potentially spread to humans, where it has been rare but deadly. To address this, the USDA has started testing ground beef in grocery stores.
Since 2020, the global H5N1 bird flu outbreak has resulted in the deaths of millions of birds, with mammals also being infected at an increasing rate. The first cases of walruses and dolphins dying from bird flu have been reported in Norway and the U.S., respectively. In the U.S., more than 90 million poultry, primarily chickens, have been euthanized due to bird flu, while 34 dairy cow herds across nine states have tested positive. Unlike chickens, cows appear to recover from the virus.
The Department of Agriculture has discovered bird flu in dairy cows after they came into contact with infected birds. Cow-to-cow transmission through infected unpasteurized milk may also be a factor. One in five milk samples from grocery stores across the country tested positive for bird flu remnants, especially in areas where cow outbreaks occurred. Although pasteurized milk is still considered safe to drink, the FDA advises against consuming raw milk due to potential risks.
While bird flu does not easily spread from person to person, cases of human-to-human transmission have been reported in other countries such as China, Thailand, Indonesia, and Pakistan. The virus is highly deadly, with 52% of reported human cases resulting in death. In the U.S., only two people have been infected with H5N1 bird flu so far, both after coming into contact with sick animals. Symptoms in humans include fever, cough, headache, and difficulty breathing.
The CDC advises against consuming raw meat or eggs infected with bird flu, but properly cooked meat is safe to eat as the virus is deactivated by heat. Eggs must be cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit to kill any bacteria or viruses. The possibility of infected meat entering the food supply is considered low due to rigorous inspection. Even though raw milk has been found to contain bird flu remnants, pasteurized milk is still safe to drink.
The ongoing bird flu outbreaks have led to increased egg prices as production has decreased due to poultry infections. Farmers quickly kill infected chickens to prevent the spread of the virus, with the USDA compensating them for their losses. Although there are approved vaccines for other bird flu variants designed for humans, there are none specifically for the H5N1 variant circulating. Trials on H5N1 animal-specific vaccines have started, but mass production of vaccines for a potential human outbreak could take at least six months.
