Health
Bird flu surges in several US states with reports of new outbreaks: 'Getting worse'
Avian influenza A (H5N1), commonly known as bird flu, continues to make its way through the U.S., as Hawaii joins the list of affected states.
The Hawaiian Department of Agriculture (HDOA) reported last week that bird flu was confirmed in a backyard flock of various birds in Central Oahu.
At least 10 birds — including ducks, geese and a zebra dove — were reported dead on the property on Nov. 12 and were then sent for confirmatory testing.
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The department stated in a press release that highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) causes “severe illness with a high mortality rate among affected birds.”
At least 10 birds infected with bird flu were reported dead in Oahu, Hawaii. (iStock)
The presence of bird flu was detected through the National Wastewater Surveillance System, marking the first confirmed detection in Hawaii.
The HDOA has issued a quarantine order for the site of infection, requiring all birds on the property to be “depopulated and the premises cleaned and disinfected.”
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It is confirmed to be the same strain that has infected dairy cows and domestic poultry in U.S. mainland states, including California.
As of Nov. 18, California has confirmed 27 human cases of bird flu, according to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).
The California Department of Food and Agriculture also confirmed bird flu in 335 dairy farms in Central California as of that same date.
“We can’t afford to give this virus more opportunities to spill over into humans.”
These outbreaks have affected more than one-fourth of California’s farms, per reports, boosting the national total in dairy herds to 549 in 15 states.
The CDPH confirmed on its website that the agency is monitoring bird flu in animals and people working closely with poultry and cows, and has distributed protective gear to these individuals.
Bird flu spread can occur by drinking raw milk; touching raw milk, cow or bird feces, and other contaminated surfaces; and handling sick or dead animals infected with the virus. (iStock)
Meanwhile, Arizona reported its first bird flu outbreak on Nov. 15 in poultry at a commercial farm in Pinal County.
The farmers spotted signs of illness in their poultry on Nov. 11. Officials confirmed that any eggs produced after the onset of illness have not entered the food supply.
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Experts believe the surge stems from the Pacific Flyway, where birds are heading south for winter. The potential of human infection is less of a threat, according to state agencies.
Hawaii’s Department of Agriculture reassured that Hawaiians are “unlikely to get sick” from bird flu at this time, as human illness is “uncommon.” Symptoms among humans infected in the U.S. have been mild, the agency added.
California’s Department of Public Health has warned that while human infections are rare, it can happen if the virus enters a person’s eyes, nose or mouth.
The CDPH confirmed that the agency is monitoring bird flu in animals and people who work closely with poultry and cows. (iStock)
People can also be infected by drinking raw milk; touching raw milk, cow or bird feces and other contaminated surfaces; and handling sick or dead animals carrying the virus.
Symptoms of bird flu in humans can include eye redness or discharge, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, diarrhea, vomiting, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue, trouble breathing, high fever, pneumonia and seizures, according to medical experts.
Expert calls for ‘decisive action’
Sam Scarpino, PhD, director of AI and life sciences at Northeastern University in Boston, said he considers the increased H5N1 influenza cases “quite concerning.”
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“From ducks and geese in Hawaii and dairy cows in California to human cases in the U.S. and a severe human infection in Canada, it’s clear that the avian influenza outbreak is getting worse, not better,” he told Fox News Digital.
“We can’t afford to give this virus more opportunities to spill over into humans — and the economic costs on the agricultural side are piling up.”
A researcher collects samples of wildlife where the H5N1 bird flu virus was detected at Chilean Antarctic territory in Antarctica. (Reuters/Instituto Antartico Chileno)
Scarpino suggested that the federal government must take “decisive action” regarding testing and serosurveillance (estimates of antibody levels) of missed infections and wastewater, as well as vaccinating dairy cows against the virus.
“We also need to ensure that farm workers are protected and should strongly consider offering them access to H5N1 vaccines,” he said.
“It’s clear that the avian influenza outbreak is getting worse, not better.”
The expert added that it will be more difficult to differentiate bird flu cases from non-bird flu cases during the seasonal influenza season.
“We need investment from the federal government to ramp up public health laboratory test capacity and educate physicians and hospitals around the need to test influenza A positive samples for H5N1,” Scarpino said.
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Dr. Jacob Glanville, CEO of Centivax, a San Francisco biotechnology company, urged people to “stay away from any dead birds and sick birds, pigs or cows” as a preventive measure, and to keep pets away from wild animals.
“This H5N1 has proven extremely lethal in ferrets and primates, and many of the infected birds have been found dead,” Glanville told Fox News Digital. “Researchers have shown it to be capable of airborne transmission between mammals.”
“Stay away from any dead birds and sick birds, pigs or cows,” an expert cautioned. (iStock)
Among the 52 Americans who have been infected with bird flu, Glanville noted that almost all of them were farm workers who had contact with cows or birds.
“Historically, from 2003 to 2024, 261 H5N1 infections have killed about 50% of the infected, being very lethal but not easily transmissible from human to human,” he said.
“Scientists don’t understand why this current strain is causing only mild infections so far, or how many mutations it would take to make it human-human transmissible and more lethal.”
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Cases of so-called “walking pneumonia” are spiking across the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has alerted.
The highly contagious infection has primarily affected young children, according to the same source.
Between March 31 and Oct. 5 of this year, the percentage of cases grew from 1% to 7.2% among children ages 2 to 4, and from 3.6% to 7.4% among those ages 5 to 17, the agency stated.
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Fox News Digital spoke on camera with Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst for Fox News, about what people should know about this condition.
What is walking pneumonia?
Cases of so-called “walking pneumonia” are spiking across the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has alerted. (iStock)
Also known as “atypical pneumonia,” walking pneumonia is a “mild lung infection,” as defined by Cleveland Clinic. It tends to feel like a bad cold or the flu.
Typically caused by bacteria, viruses or mold exposure, the condition causes swelling in the airways and fluid in the lungs.
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“Walking pneumonia is less than a full lobar pneumonia, where an entire region of the lungs is whited out from a bacteria or virus,” Siegel told Fox News Digital.
“Walking pneumonia generally refers to a patchy pneumonia, where the pathogen isn’t affecting one specific region of lung.”
Symptoms of the infection
Signs of atypical pneumonia may include the following, according to Cleveland Clinic.
Sore throat, low-grade fever, chest pain and coughing are some of the common symptoms of atypical pneumonia. (iStock)
- Sore throat
- Extreme fatigue
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Low-grade fever
- Mild chills
- Coughing (usually the longest-lasting symptom)
- Sneezing
- Headache
The type of cough is a key differentiator between traditional and walking pneumonia, according to Siegel.
“If you have a rip-roaring, traditional bacterial pneumonia, you’re going to be coughing up green, brown or dark yellow,” he said.
BIRD FLU UPDATE FROM DR. MARC SIEGEL, FOX NEWS SENIOR MEDICAL ANALYST
“But with walking pneumonia, it may be a white mucus … or maybe you don’t have a productive cough at all.”
This condition also doesn’t cause the high fever associated with full pneumonia, he noted.
As the name implies, you may be able to walk around and go about your daily activities with this less severe form of pneumonia.
Coughing is one of the longest-lasting symptoms of walking pneumonia, although it may not be a productive cough. (iStock)
“You’re not walking around with a big looming bacterial pneumonia with a high blood cell count and a high fever and chest pain,” Siegel said.
Even if it seems milder, however, this type of infection could still require medical attention, the doctor warned.
“A doctor who is not on the lookout for this could mistake it for a different kind of virus.”
The condition is easy to miss, as the symptoms are often mistaken for something else, according to Siegel.
“A doctor who is not on the lookout for this could mistake it for a different kind of virus, and not understand that it might actually be an atypical bacterial pneumonia,” he told Fox News Digital.
Causes of walking pneumonia
Several different types of bacteria can lead to walking pneumonia, Siegel noted, primarily Mycoplasma.
“This is the season for Mycoplasma,” he said. “That’s an atypical bacterium that’s treatable with certain antibiotics.”
Bordetella pertussis, the bacterium that causes whooping cough, can potentially lead to walking pneumonia, the doctor warned. (iStock)
Bordetella pertussis, the bacterium that causes whooping cough, can also lead to walking pneumonia.
“There’s been a big resurgence of pertussis this year, particularly in very young children,” Siegel said.
“My concern is that we’re overlooking atypical bacteria that would go away a heck of a lot faster if we treated them with antibiotics.”
Legionella, another bacterium that can cause pneumonia, can spread through water or air conditioning units, he warned.
Certain viruses, such as RSV, can also cause pneumonia.
“Although flu doesn’t usually cause pneumonia, it can cause secondary pneumonia where you get these infections on top of influenza — the same thing with COVID,” Siegel noted.
“Although flu doesn’t usually cause pneumonia, it can cause secondary pneumonia where you get these infections on top of influenza,” the doctor cautioned. (iStock)
The resurgence of these pneumonia-causing bacteria and viruses could be a delayed effect of the masking and lockdowns that occurred during the pandemic, the doctor said.
“On top of that, we’re not as well-vaccinated as we should be,” he said. “And physicians are not on the lookout enough … I’m urging them to be on the lookout for atypical pneumonias.”
Who is at highest risk?
Siegel said he is most concerned about young children getting these atypical bacteria, because they may not have the ability to fend them off due to not having fully developed lungs.
“I’m also concerned about the elderly, the immunocompromised and those with chronic illness — especially lung illnesses like asthma and emphysema, as they may not have the reserve they need to fight it off,” he said.
If a virus is behind the walking pneumonia, it may go away without treatment, Siegel said, but it could be more prolonged.
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“My concern is that we’re overlooking atypical bacteria that would go away a heck of a lot faster if we treated them with antibiotics,” the doctor said.
“Things like mycoplasma, legionella, pertussis — that’s what I’m most concerned about here.”
A health care provider can diagnose walking pneumonia by conducting a physical exam, listening to the patient’s lungs, running blood tests and/or performing a chest X-ray. (iStock)
A health care provider can diagnose walking pneumonia by conducting a physical exam, listening to the patient’s lungs, running blood tests and/or performing a chest X-ray, Cleveland Clinic stated.
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Bacterial pneumonias are treated with antibiotics. For viral pneumonias, over-the-counter medications can help relieve symptoms.
Experts also recommend drinking plenty of fluids, getting lots of rest and keeping the airways open by using a humidifier.
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