HPAI News: Jan 13 2025

Native horses grazing in Mongolia

Executive Summary

The biggest news of the week was undoubtably the death of the Louisiana patient who contracted H5N1 from a backyard flock in December, which has concerned both experts and the general public (for different reasons; see below). Media attention has also focused on the price and scarcity of eggs, with numerous stories appearing across the country. In the animal health industry, Bovine Veterinarian published a must-read article highlighting interviews with a number of practitioners in California, who described the challenges associated with managing dairy herds during the outbreak. Also in animal health news, a group of horses in Mongolia has tested positive for antibodies against H5N1.

Statistics

New cases have been reported in Maryland, Georgia, Minnesota, Detroit, Austin, Iowa, and North Carolina, where an estimated 2.7M laying hens were impacted (1-7). In addition, H5N1 was found in a sick child in California (8). The route of exposure remains unknown and the child is recovering.

Government and Policy

The USDA has announced that it will begin to rebuild its stockpile of H5N1 vaccine (9). The previous stockpile, which was established during the 2014-2015 outbreak, has since expired. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack indicated that there were no immediate plans to pursue vaccination due to risk of trade restrictions. In 2015, the US lost over $1B in poultry export income (10).

Despite growing concerns, the CDC continues to emphasize the low risk of HPAI to the general public (11). Unsurprisingly, a wide range of opinions has been expressed online, with some calling for immediate action by the federal government to halt the spread of the virus (12) and others downplaying the threat or even claiming that the virus is a hoax (13).

The CDC has published additional guidance for workers who are at risk of being exposed to HPAI (14, 15). This publication focuses on best practices for the use of PPE and expands upon the previous interim guidance issued last year.

In an attempt to stop the spread of the virus, the state of California has banned poultry and cattle from participating in exhibitions at state fairs and shows (16). Given the current situation in Los Angeles, however, bird flu seems to have been put on the back burner for the moment.

Public Impact

A new study has shown that a group of horses in Mongolia were infected with the H5N1 virus (17). Although they showed no symptoms, the animals carried antibodies against avian influenza. This study supports an earlier study in Egypt that found both antibodies and live virus in a small number of donkeys suffering from respiratory disease (18). This underscores the importance of vigilance in monitoring companion animals for symptoms of disease in addition to livestock and wildlife. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) website has information and guidelines for keeping pets safe (19).

News outlets across the country are reporting higher egg prices as consumers face the tangible impacts of HPAI on the poultry industry (20-22). An article published by Forbes (23) identifies other contributing factors, including rising production costs, seasonal demand, and the implementation of cage-free laws in states like California and Massachusetts. It also suggests that “industrialized farming” is at least partly to blame for the current HPAI situation and mentions that many Americans are investing in backyard poultry as a way to gain more control over their food supply.

Hunters in Arizona are being advised to exercise extreme caution this season given the presence of H5N1 in local waterfowl populations (24). The Arizona Game and Fish Department is urging hunters to only harvest healthy birds and to follow basic infection control measures like wearing gloves, properly disposing of feathers and other waste, and bathing dogs after hunting. Additional information can be found on the US Fish and Wildlife Service website (25).

Science & Medicine

The most notable story of the week was the report of the unfortunate death of the first severe case of H5N1 in the US (26). The patient was over 65 years of age and had other underlying medical issues; the CDC noted that the death, while tragic, was not unexpected. According to the announcement, “Outside the United States, more than 950 cases of H5N1 bird flu have been reported to the World Health Organization; about half of those have resulted in death.”

Bovine Veterinarian recently published an important story highlighting interviews from California practitioners who are managing infected dairy herds (27). The article provides insights into how cows are being affected by the virus, as well as difficulties in standardization of case descriptions and treatment approaches. “The virus takes the problems that are already on your dairy that you’ve either figured out how to cope with or they’re just sitting at a low level, and it exacerbates them for probably a month,” said Dr. Maxwell Beal, of Mill Creek Veterinary Services in Visalia, California.

Researchers at the USDA have just published a paper quantifying H5N1 viral RNA and infectious virus in a wide variety of commercially available dairy products (28). Although viral RNA was found in many samples, none contained infectious virus. This extensive investigation corroborates previous studies and should provide reassurance regarding the safety of the food supply.