Tag Archives: H5N1

Beltway Beat

First Bird Flu Death in U.S. Reported in Louisiana

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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The news comes on the heels of a report that the patient had carried mutations that might help the virus infect people more easily.

This article is in follow up to the Dec. 30 article, Genetic Sequences of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Viruses Identified in a Person in Louisiana

The New York Times reported that a Louisiana patient who had been hospitalized with severe bird flu has died, the first such fatality in the United States, state health officials.

The patient was older than 65 and had underlying medical conditions, the officials said. The individual became infected with the bird flu virus, H5N1, after exposure to a backyard flock and wild birds.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said late last month that the mutations were not present in virus samples taken from the backyard flock, suggesting that they developed in the patient as the illness progressed.

One of the mutations was also present in virus sampled from a 13-year-old Canadian girl who was hospitalized and required respiratory support. She has since recovered.

Both patients carried a version of the virus that is circulating in wild birds, distinct from the one causing the outbreak in dairy cattle.

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Beltway Beat

APHIS Announces Updates to Indemnity Program for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza on Poultry Farms

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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As part of its ongoing efforts to stop the further spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) and give farmers tools to help combat the disease, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced an interim final rule that updates the conditions for poultry facilities to receive indemnity and compensation after testing positive for HPAI. Based on evidence that strong biosecurity measures remain the most effective strategy to combat HPAI, APHIS will now require that farmers undergo a biosecurity audit before restocking their poultry after an HPAI detection, and before receiving future indemnity payments.

“During the outbreak of HPAI in 2014 and 2015, U.S. poultry owners made great improvements to biosecurity to protect their flocks, which greatly reduced the presence of HPAI among the country’s poultry flock,” said Dr. Rosemary Sifford, USDA Chief Veterinary Officer. “Biosecurity is proven to be our best weapon in fighting this virus, and this update will ensure that poultry producers who received indemnity for HPAI are taking measures to stop future introductions of the disease and avoiding actions that contribute to its spread.”

Under the interim final rule, if a commercial poultry farm affected by HPAI wants to restock their poultry and be eligible for future indemnity on that restock, the premises will be required to pass a biosecurity audit by APHIS before restocking. APHIS will also require a biosecurity audit for commercial poultry premises within the “buffer zone” (minimal 7 km radius around the infected zone) prior to movement of poultry onto the premises if the owner wishes to be eligible for future indemnity for the poultry moved onto the premises. Additionally, APHIS will not pay indemnity for flocks moved onto premises in active infected zones if the flocks become infected with HPAI within 14 days following the dissolution of the control area around an active infected premises. A producer who does not make corrections recommended in APHIS’s biosecurity audit will not be eligible for indemnity payments if the premises experiences future infections within the same outbreak.

Poulty Farmer

Iowa HHS Reports First Human Case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Iowa

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa HHS) reported the first human case of avian influenza A(H5) in the state. The individual was exposed to infected poultry while working with a commercial flock in northwest Iowa. The individual reported mild symptoms, has received appropriate treatment and is recovering. The case was identified through testing at the State Hygienic Laboratory and confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“Iowa has monitored the spread of avian influenza closely since it was first detected in poultry in the state in 2022, and our state is prepared with the established knowledge, strong partnerships, and effective tools to mitigate its impact on our community,” said Iowa HHS State Medical Director Dr. Robert Kruse.

As of December 20, 2024, the CDC has reported 64 confirmed human cases of H5 HPAI across nine states. The majority of the exposures are linked to infected poultry or dairy cows.

Voluntary Recall of Northwest Naturals’ Pet Food Due to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Contamination

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Northwest Naturals of Portland, Oregon announced that it is voluntarily recalling one batch of Northwest Naturals brand 2lb Feline Turkey Recipe raw frozen pet food after it was tested positive for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1) virus.

According to the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s website, testing conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) and the Oregon Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (ODVL) at Oregon State University confirmed a house cat in Washington County, Oregon contracted H5N1 and died after consuming the raw frozen pet food. Tests confirmed a genetic match between the virus in the raw and frozen pet food and the infected cat.

“We are confident that this cat contracted H5N1 by eating the Northwest Naturals raw and frozen pet food,” said ODA State Veterinarian Dr. Ryan Scholz. “This cat was strictly an indoor cat; it was not exposed to the virus in its environment, and results from the genome sequencing confirmed that the virus recovered from the raw pet food and infected cat were exact matches to each other.”

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and local public health officials are monitoring household members who had contact with the cat for flu symptoms. To date, no human cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) have been linked to this incident. Although Oregon has reported one confirmed human case of HPAI, there are no confirmed cases of the virus in dairy cows or cow milk. As a precautionary measure, ODA announced on December 11 that it will test milk from every commercial dairy across the state. Neighboring states such as Idaho, Nevada, and California have reported HPAI cases in dairy cattle herds, contributing to over 700 confirmed cases in 16 states nationwide.

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California Declares an Emergency Over Bird Flu (H5N1) in Dairy Cows

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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On Wednesday, December 18, Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a State of Emergency to streamline and expedite the state’s response to Avian influenza A (H5N1), commonly known as “Bird Flu.” This action comes as cases were detected in dairy cows on farms in Southern California, signaling the need to further expand monitoring and build on the coordinated statewide approach to contain and mitigate the spread of the virus. The virus has spread in 16 states among dairy cattle, following its first confirmed detection in Texas and Kansas in March 2024.

To date, no person-to-person spread of Bird Flu has been detected in California and nearly all infected individuals had exposure to infected cattle. California has already established the largest testing and monitoring system in the nation to respond to the outbreak.

This emergency proclamation that was on the State’s website will provide state and local agencies with additional flexibility around staffing, contracting, and other rules to support California’s evolving response.

According to the website, California has mobilized a comprehensive cross-agency response to Bird Flu in dairy cattle and poultry farms to minimize farm worker exposures, reduce raw dairy product contamination, and mitigate the spread of the virus. The state has enlisted local, state, and federal government technical and operational expertise to support all facets of the response; worked to educate the public, health professionals, employers, and workers on prevention and control measures to reduce the risk of exposure to Bird Flu; provided comprehensive information for employers and workers on personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements; and distributed millions of pieces of PPE to high-risk workers at dairy farms.

Through coordinated public awareness efforts between the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), and other agencies, the state is leading a cross-agency response that includes timely public updates, multilingual outreach to dairy and poultry workers, targeted social media efforts to promote preventive practices, online and printed resources for the public, and media interviews to keep Californians informed. Additionally, the state is ensuring that agriculture workers have access to additional doses of seasonal flu vaccine from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to reduce concurrent flu risks.

Officials have also been working in close collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S.  Department of Agriculture, and local health and agricultural officials, as part of a whole-of-government effort to coordinate, implement, and ensure timely surveillance and investigation of potential cases of Bird Flu.

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Beltway Beat

USDA Announces New Federal Order, Begins National Milk Testing Strategy to Address H5N1 in Dairy Herds

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Cows, dairy, farms

Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is announcing the start of its National Milk Testing Strategy (NMTS), which builds on measures taken by USDA and federal and state partners since the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 in dairy cattle was first detected in March 2024. Today, USDA is issuing a new Federal Order, as well as accompanying guidance, requiring that raw (unpasteurized) milk samples nationwide be collected and shared with USDA for testing. This new guidance from USDA, which was developed with significant input from state, veterinary and public health stakeholders, will facilitate comprehensive H5N1 surveillance of the nation’s milk supply and dairy herds.

According to the USDA’s announcement on their website, this NMTS is designed to increase USDA’s and public health partners’ understanding of the virus’ spread in the United States through a structured, uniform, and mandatory testing system that will help swiftly identify which states, and specific herds within them, are affected with H5N1; support the rapid implementation of enhanced biosecurity measures to decrease the risk of transmission to other livestock; and importantly, inform critical efforts to protect farmworkers to help lower their risk of exposure. USDA believes this additional step is needed to proactively support effective biosecurity measures, which is key for states and farmers to contain and eliminate H5N1 infections from their livestock and to eliminate HPAI in livestock across the U.S. dairy population.

The Federal Order released today makes three new requirements.

  1. it requires the sharing of raw milk samples, upon request, from any entity responsible for a dairy farm, bulk milk transporter, bulk milk transfer station, or dairy processing facility that sends or holds milk intended for pasteurization.
  2. the Federal Order requires herd owners with positive cattle to provide epidemiological information that enables activities such as contact tracing and disease surveillance.
  3. finally, like USDA’s April 24 Federal Order, it requires that private laboratories and state veterinarians report positive results to USDA that come from tests done on raw milk samples drawn as part of the NMTS.

The first round of silo testing under the Federal Order and the NMTS is scheduled to begin the week of Dec. 16, 2024, although some states are already conducting testing compatible with the NMTS.

This new Federal Order does not override or supersede USDA’s April 24 Federal Order, which still requires the mandatory testing of lactating dairy cows prior to interstate shipment and requires that all privately owned laboratories and state veterinarians report positive test results connected with those tests. The new Federal Order announced today is intended to complement and enhance this existing order.

National Milk Testing Strategy

As part of the National Milk Testing Strategy, APHIS will work with each state in the contiguous United States to execute testing in a way that works for the state and that aligns with the NMTS standards. Once a state begins testing under the NMTS, APHIS will place that state into one of five stages based on the HPAI H5N1 virus prevalence in that state. As states move to another stage, we will have a stronger picture of our progress towards eliminating HPAI H5N1 at state, regional and national levels. These stages include:

Stage 1: Standing Up Mandatory USDA National Plant Silo Monitoring

USDA will immediately begin nationwide testing of milk silos at dairy processing facilities. This national sample will allow USDA to identify where the disease is present, monitor trends, and help states identify potentially affected herds.

Stage 2: Determining a State’s H5N1 Dairy Cattle Status

Building on the results of silo monitoring, in collaboration with states, USDA will also stand up bulk tank sampling programs that will enable us to identify herds in the state that are affected with H5N1.

Stage 3: Detecting and Responding to the Virus in Affected States

For states with H5N1 detections, APHIS will work quickly to identify specific cases and implement rapid response measures, including enhanced biosecurity using USDA’s existing incentives programs, movement controls and contact tracing.

Stage 4: Demonstrating Ongoing Absence of H5 in Dairy Cattle in Unaffected States

Once all dairy herds in a given state are considered to be unaffected, APHIS will continue regular sampling of farms’ bulk tanks to ensure the disease does not re-emerge. Bulk tank sampling frequency will progressively decline as the state demonstrates continual silo negativity (e.g., weekly, monthly, quarterly if continually negative). If a state becomes affected, USDA will re-engage detection and response activities, and the state will return to Stage 3.

Stage 5: Demonstrating Freedom from H5 in U.S. Dairy Cattle

After all states move through Stage Four, APHIS will work with the states to begin periodic sampling and testing to illustrate long-term absence from the national herd.

As of this announcement, the following six states will be included in the first round of states brought into the program for testing: California, Colorado, Michigan, Mississippi, Oregon, and Pennsylvania.

As states begin testing under the NMTS and as they move through the five stages, their progress will be shared at USDA HPAI in Livestock Testing. While the majority of states will enter the NMTS at Stage 1, we anticipate states with ongoing testing may meet the testing requirements described above in Stages 2-4. USDA will work closely with states to determine each state’s status. While the majority of states will enter the NMTS at Stage 1, we anticipate states with ongoing testing may meet the testing requirements described above in Stages 2-4. USDA will work closely with states to determine each state’s status.

Cows, dairy, farms

USDA, FDA and HHS Announce Funding to Fight Avian Flu in Dairy Products

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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U.S. regulatory agencies are working together to control and mitigate the risks of H5N1 in the dairy industry. The USDA announced assistance for producers with H5N1-affected premises to improve on-site biosecurity in order to reduce the spread. In addition, USDA is taking steps to make available financial tools for lost milk production in herds affected by H5N1. Funding is available to:

Protect against the potential for spread between human and animals. The USDA will provide financial support (up to $2,000 per affected premises per month) for producers who supply personal protective equipment (PPE) to employees and/or provide outerwear uniform laundering, for producers of affected herds who facilitate the participation of their workers in USDA/CDC workplace and farmworker study.

Workers who participate in the study are also eligible for financial incentives to compensate them for their time, regardless of whether the study is led by federal, state, or local public health professionals.

Support producers in biosecurity planning and implementation. The USDA will provide support (up to $1,500 per affected premises) to develop biosecurity plans based on existing secure milk supply plans. This includes recommended enhanced biosecurity for individuals that frequently move between dairy farms (milk haulers, veterinarians, feed trucks, AI technicians, etc). In addition, USDA will provide a $100 payment to producers who purchase and use an in-line sampler for their milk system.

Provide funding for heat treatment to dispose of milk in a bio secure fashion. If a producer establishes a system to heat treat all waste milk before disposal, USDA will pay the producer up to $2,000 per affected premises per month.

Reimburse producers for veterinarian costs associated with confirmed positive H5N1 premises. Veterinary costs are eligible to be covered from the initial date of positive confirmation at NVSL for that farm, up to $10,000 per affected premises.

Offset shipping costs for influenza A testing at laboratories in the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN). USDA will pay for the cost of shipping samples to NAHLN labs for testing. USDA will pay actual shipping costs, not to exceed $50 per shipment for up to two shipments per month for each affected premises. Testing at NAHLN laboratories for samples associated with this event (e.g., pre-movement, testing of sick/suspect animals, samples from concerned producers) is already being conducted at no-cost to the producer.

Compensate producers for loss of milk production. USDA is taking steps to make funding available from the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP) to compensate eligible producers with positive herds who experience loss of milk production.

Work with states to limit movement of lactating cattle. USDA will work with and support the actions of states with affected herds as they consider movement restrictions within their borders to further limit the spread of H5N1 between herds to reduce further spread of this virus.

USDA will make $98 million in existing funds available to the Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to fund these initiatives. If needed, USDA has the authority, with Congressional notification, to make additional funds available.

HHS

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) also announced new funding investments through CDC and FDA totaling $101 million to mitigate the risk of H5N1 and continue its work to test, prevent, and treat H5N1. This includes an additional $93 million to support current response efforts for avian influenza.

These investments will allow CDC to bolster testing and laboratory capacity, surveillance, genomic sequencing, support jurisdictions and partner efforts to reach high risk populations and initiate a new wastewater surveillance pilot. The funding includes:

  • $34 million in Testing and Laboratory Capacity to:
    • Develop and optimize assays that can be used to sequence virus independent of virus identification.
    • Assess circulating H5N1 viruses for any concerning viral changes, including increased transmissibility or severity in humans or decreasing efficacy of diagnostics or antivirals.
    • Support the ability of STLT Public Health Labs throughout the country to surge their testing abilities, including support for the additional costs of shipping human avian influenza specimens, which are select agents.
    • Through the International Reagent Resource (IRR), support manufacture, storage, and distribution of roughly one thousand additional influenza diagnostic test kits (equaling nearly around one million additional tests) for virologic surveillance. The IRR would also provide influenza reagents for research and development activities on a global scale. This is in addition to current influenza testing capacity at CDC and in STLT public health and DOD labs, which is approximately 490,000 H5-specific tests.
    • Address the manufacturer issue detected with current avian flu test kits.
    • Initiate avian flu testing in one commercial laboratory.
  • $29 million in Epidemiology, Surveillance, and Data Analytics to:
    • Scale up existing efforts to monitor people who are exposed to infected birds and poultry to accommodate workers at likely many more poultry facilities, as well as potentially workers at other agricultural facilities and other people (e.g., hunters) who may be exposed to species that pose a threat.
    • Scale up contact tracing efforts and data reporting to accommodate monitoring of contacts of additional sporadic cases.
    • Support the collection and characterization of additional clinical specimens through established surveillance systems from regions with large numbers of exposed persons to enhance the ability to detect any unrecognized cases in the community if they occur.
    • Expand respiratory virus surveillance to capture more samples from persons with acute respiratory illness in different care settings.
    • Support continuation and possible expansion of existing respiratory surveillance platforms and vaccine effectiveness platforms.
  • $14 million in Genomic Sequencing to:
    • Provide bioinformatics and data analytics support for genomic sequencing at CDC that supports surveillance needs for enhanced monitoring.
    • Expand sequencing capacity for HPAI in state-level National Influenza Reference Centers (NIRCs), Influenza Sequencing Center (ISC), and Pathogen Genomic Centers of Excellence.
  • $8 million in Vaccine Activities to analyze circulating H5N1 viruses to determine whether current Candidate Vaccine Viruses (CVVs) would be effective and develop new ones if necessary.
  • $5 million in STLT Jurisdiction/Partner Funding to:support partner efforts to reach high-risk populations.
  • $3 million in Wastewater Surveillance to initiate wastewater pilot to evaluate the use case for HPAI in up to 10 livestock and implement a study to evaluate the use of Influenza A sequencing in wastewater samples for highly pathogenic avian influenza typing.

Additionally, the FDA announced an additional $8 million to support its ongoing response activities. This funding will support the agency’s ability to validate pasteurization criteria, conduct surveillance at different points in the milk production system, bolster laboratory capacity and provide needed resources to train staff on biosecurity procedures. Additionally, these funds will help support H5N1 activities in partnership with state co-regulatory partners, who administer state programs as part of the federal/state milk safety system. It may also be used to allow the FDA to partner with universities on critical research questions.