Michigan leading US on monitoring and studying bird flu outbreak

from the Guardian

As questions swirl about the spread of bird flu among livestock and people, one US state – Michigan – has taken the lead on monitoring and studying the outbreak.

Other states have seemed wary of tracking cases among animals and people, but Michigan has taken a proactive approach, with daily text messages and phone calls to check on farm workers who work with cows that have tested positive for H5N1. They also have offered free tests if symptoms develop.

Officials weren’t surprised when a third person tested positive for the highly pathogenic avian influenza, and they weren’t surprised that it happened in Michigan. Nearly two-thirds of the people being monitored for H5N1 symptoms are in Michigan, Nirav Shah, principal deputy director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said recently.

As of 22 May, 35 out of 40 tests among people had been conducted in Michigan. That means only five other bird flu tests took place in other states, including Texas, the only other state to report a case among humans in this outbreak.

Michigan is the state with the highest concentration of influenza A in its wastewater, according to WastewaterScan. H5N1 belongs to the influenza A family, and relatively high levels of flu A indicate possible outbreaks of H5N1 – most likely among animals...

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