HPAI News: Jan 27 2025
Statistics
BREAKING 1/27: H5N9, another subtype of avian influenza, has been found in an H5N1-infected flock in California (1).
H5N1 infections continue to spread, with APHIS confirming 8 additional dairy herds infected in California, as well as flocks in Arkansas, Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, Georgia, Oregon, and Virginia (2, 3). Presumptive positive cases have also been found in flocks in Ohio, Connecticut, Indiana, Washington state, New York, and Maryland (4-9). Massachusetts is experiencing several cases of dead waterfowl, prompting one Boston park to close (10), and a cat in Oregon has tested positive (11). Notably, a dairy herd in Churchill County Nevada has also tested positive (12), marking the first case in cattle in that state.
Government & Policy
The Trump administration’s recent announcement of a freeze on public communications from the department of Health and Human Services (13) could have an impact on the country’s ability to respond to avian influenza. The immediate halt in all communications, travel, and grant funding procedures from HHS organizations, which include the CDC and the NIH, have already disrupted disease incidence reporting, food safety recalls, and publication of guidances. Although many bird flu response programs are administered through the USDA, the agency has been working jointly with the CDC and Fish and Wildlife Services to coordinate activities. It remains unclear how long this policy will remain in effect and what the ultimate impact will be on the government’s ability to address avian influenza.
Public Impact
With the price of eggs steadily rising, more and more consumers are looking towards small, local producers as an alternative source of both eggs and meat. However, the Midwest is facing a shortage of small and medium-sized meat processors, a problem that could become exacerbated with increasing demand for locally-raised protein (14-16).
Nick Frillman of the University of Illinois Extension service writes, “As demand for locally raised poultry continues to grow, finding solutions to these processing challenges is more important than ever.” Although the bottleneck in processing is receiving more attention in recent months, recognition of the underlying problem began several years ago. The Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture published a report in 2024 stating that the loss of small processing facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the vulnerability of the food supply chain. These findings were corroborated by a joint report from the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute and the USDA-AMS. Both reports called for a series of actions to be taken to support small processors and improve the resilience of this portion of the supply chain.
Science
A study published last week in Science Advances looked at the transmission of different lineages of H5N1 virus among various groups of wild and domestic birds (17). The authors found that vaccination decreased transmission from wild birds to poultry, although circulating virus in vaccinated populations in China seem to have undergone more rapid evolution and adaptation. This might be attributable to increased immune selection resulting from vaccination, although a causal relationship has yet to be established. The authors emphasized the need for a better understanding of viral adaptation and transmission dynamics in vaccinated populations to inform policy development.