Arizona Reports Its First Human Cases of Bird Flu

A person holds a test tube in this picture illustration, on January 14, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Arizona revealed the first instances of H5 avian flu infection in humans in the state, with two people infected, while California is probing a potential infection in a child.

The individuals were “exposed to infected poultry while working at a commercial facility in Pinal County,” the Arizona Department of Health Services said in a Dec. 6 statement. Both of them reported mild symptoms and have recovered.

“H5 infection in people can range from mild (upper respiratory symptoms, conjunctivitis) to severe (pneumonia, multi-organ failure, and death). There is no evidence that human-to-human transmission of H5 is occurring to date,” said the department, adding that the risk to the public “remains low.”

The department noted that human infections typically spring up in people exposed to infected animals or from the environment. The state is taking “swift and comprehensive action” to deal with the flu situation, the notice said.

For instance, authorities are monitoring bird flu in farm animals and people who tend them. Protective gear is being distributed to farm employees. The department is also ensuring that testing and treatment options are available.

Avian influenza has also been detected in a backyard flock in Arizona’s Maricopa County.

Meanwhile, a case of potential flu infection in a child has been reported in Marin County, California, according to a Dec. 6 update from Marin County Public Health.

County officials said they were investigating the situation and were working with state and federal agencies to confirm the case and to determine the source of infection.

A bird flu infection in a California child was confirmed last month, the first case involving a minor.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 58 avian flu infections in Americans have been reported as of Dec. 9.

The majority of cases were in California with 32 infections, followed by Washington with 11, Colorado with 10, Michigan with two, and Missouri, Oregon, and Texas with one each. Infected cattle were the top source of infections, followed by poultry.

Milk Supply Impact

A key concern about avian flu among cattle is milk supply. As of Dec. 6, the flu had affected 720 dairy herds, with 15 states reporting outbreaks in cows, according to the CDC.

In late November, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) warned citizens for a second time not to drink raw milk packaged by Raw Farm, LLC of Fresno County. The alert came after the bird flu virus was detected in a second retail sample.

While no human avian flu cases tied to the product were reported, “consumers are strongly urged to not consume any of the affected raw milk,” said the notice.

However, the department clarified that pasteurized milk was “safe” for consumption. In the pasteurization process, milk is heated to “specific temperatures for a certain length of time to kill many microorganisms and enzymes that lead to spoilage and illness,” the agency said.

“Pasteurization kills the bird flu virus and other harmful germs that can be found in raw milk. CDPH advises consumers not to drink raw milk or eat raw milk products due to the risk of foodborne illness.”

This past week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced the start of the National Milk Testing Strategy, which requires that samples of raw, unpasteurized milk be collected from across the country and shared with USDA for testing purposes.

Entities tied to the milk supply chain have to provide raw milk samples upon USDA requests. In addition, cattle owners who have flu-affected cows are required to provide data that would enable disease surveillance and contact tracing.

The new strategy is expected to help states to protect more effectively the health of dairy cattle, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

“Among many outcomes, this will give farmers and farmworkers better confidence in the safety of their animals and ability to protect themselves, and it will put us on a path to quickly controlling and stopping the virus’ spread nationwide,” he said.