Map Shows States Where Bird Flu H5N1 Has Spread

Hawaii could become the eighth U.S. state to see human cases of bird flu, after the state’s Department of Health issued a warning on Sunday to members of the public who attended a pet fair.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has so far confirmed 52 human cases of bird flu—otherwise known as avian influenza H5N1—during this year’s outbreak: 26 in California, 11 in Washington, 10 in Colorado, two in Michigan and one each in Missouri, Oregon and Texas.
This figure has grown from 46 cases last week, with Oregon reporting its first case on Friday, showing the outbreak is spreading.
A statement issued by the Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) on Sunday warned that members of the public who attended Mililani Pet Fair on November 2 may be at risk of bird flu after coming into contact with infected birds.
Birds that were present at the fair, from a backyard flock in Central Oahu, later developed signs of infection and were confirmed to have the virus.
The Hawaii DOH stated that “the likelihood of spreading H5N1 to humans is low.” However, they recommended that, “out of an abundance of caution,” attendees who touched a duck or goose should monitor for influenza-like illness and eye redness.
Avian influenza H5N1 was first detected among birds in China in the 1990s and went on to affect more than 800 people globally over the following 20 years.
The virus is more common among animals, currently affecting 107 million poultry and 508 dairy herds across the U.S., according to the CDC, which maintains that the risk to humans in low.
Infection in humans is most common after direct contact with animals, for instance after touching the saliva, mucus or feces of sick or dead birds.
A person may be infected if the virus gets into their eyes, nose or mouth, or is inhaled, via droplets or dust in the air, or via contaminated surfaces.
In this year’s outbreak of human infection with bird flu, 30 cases have been linked to cattle exposure and 21 cases to poultry exposure.
There are no known cases of bird flu spreading between humans—however a case in Missouri, detected in September, involved a patient who had not knowingly been exposed to animals.
Jeremy Rossman, senior lecturer in virology at the University of Kent, previously told Newsweek that the risk of bird flu developing into a human pandemic was unknown, but that it depended on whether the virus became transmissible between people.
“We just don’t know what that would look like and that is the biggest concern,” he said. “If we start to get human-to-human transmission, especially going into winter in the U.S. when flu spreads the best anyways, there is a very high chance that this virus would start to spread.
“Now the implications of that are not clear, because historically bird flu in people can have up to 60 percent case fatality rates. But we’re not seeing that even with the spillover cases from cattle here.
“We just don’t know what it would be like if in fact we did get this human transmissible bird flu,” he added.
Symptoms of bird flu may include fever, cough, sore throat, eye redness, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches and headaches.
In severe cases, infected individuals may experience shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, pneumonia requiring hospitalization and seizures.
The CDC website states: “Right now, the H5N1 bird flu situation remains primarily an animal health issue.
“However, CDC is watching this situation closely and taking routine preparedness and prevention measures in case this virus changes to pose a greater human health risk.”
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