Health
CDC, WebMD give update on current bird flu outbreak: ‘Be alert, not alarmed’
As bird flu continues to spread among cattle in the U.S., WebMD and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) joined forces on Thursday to present a live-streamed briefing on the status of the outbreak.
The presentation, called “WebMD and CDC Presents, 2024 Bird Flu: What You Need to Know,” was moderated by Neha Pathak, M.D., chief physician editor for WebMD in Atlanta, Georgia.
The first reports of sick dairy cows came to the USDA in early March, according to Eric Deeble, deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Congressional Relations at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Washington, D.C.
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Testing revealed that the cows had contracted H5N1, more commonly known as avian influenza, or bird flu.
“Any new disease of cattle is a great concern to us,” Deeble said during the briefing.
As bird flu continues to spread among cattle in the U.S., WebMD and the CDC issued an update on Thursday. (Getty Images)
“The H5N1 in cattle is a relatively mild disease. They generally recover after supportive care” within two to three weeks, he said.
“Their milk volume returns to normal, and they appear healthy and continue to feed as they did before they became sick.”
“Any new disease of cattle is a great concern to us.”
So far, the USDA has detected H5N1 in 49 dairy herds in nine states, Deeble stated.
“To put that into perspective, that’s around 1% of dairy farms in the affected states and about 1/10th of 1% nationally,” he said.
On April 29, a federal order from the USDA took effect, limiting the movement of lactating dairy cattle in an effort to monitor and compile H5N1 test results.
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“Under this order, dairy farmers are required to test their cows before moving them across state lines so that we know those cows are H5N1-free and don’t pose a risk to any new herd,” Deeble said.
The order also requires that any test results that detect the presence of H5N1 are reported to USDA labs.
No current food risk, experts say
Deeble assured those tuning in on Thursday that there is no risk with consuming milk and meat.
“I can say without reservation that our commercial milk and meat supplies are safe,” he said. “At no time were animals that are sick from H5N1 or any other animal disease permitted to enter into our food supply.”
He added, “USDA has never detected H5N1 in meat sold at retail.”
The first reports of sick dairy cows came to the USDA in early March, health officials said. (iStock)
Tests have confirmed that cooking meat to an internal temperature of 155 or above is sufficient to eliminate all traces of the virus, Deeble noted.
For milk, the pasteurization process ensures it is safe to drink, he said.
“Our milk is cleared to a high temperature for a brief period of time, inactivating H5N1, as well as other bacteria and viruses that could make someone sick,” he said.
Risk of transmission to humans
The overall risk to the public from bird flu is low, according to Dr. Nirav D. Shah, M.D., principal deputy director of the CDC in Atlanta.
“That is in part because it’s rare for people to get infected with bird flu viruses — but it has happened,” he said during the briefing.
“If and when it does happen, it’s most often through direct unprotected contact with infected animals — for example, not wearing gloves, face masks or eye protection.”
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In April, the CDC reported one human case of bird flu in a dairy worker in Texas, Shah said.
“This person’s only symptom was eye redness, or conjunctivitis,” he said. “After testing positive, this person was provided [with] an antiviral medicine and thankfully made a full recovery. There have been no new or additional human cases since this individual in Texas.”
Other symptoms to watch for include cough, fever, muscle aches and fatigue, according to Shah.
Experts said there is no risk associated with drinking milk purchased commercially. (iStock)
Although the overall risk to humans is low, the CDC is taking “aggressive steps” to make sure Americans stay well and informed, Shah said.
“Right now, one of our top areas of focus is around farm worker safety and protection — specifically making sure that workers have access to personal protective equipment … like gloves, goggles or face masks, which can help reduce their risk of exposure if they happen to be working around affected cows.”
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The CDC is also working with local health departments to ensure that sick farmers are tested for bird flu and to monitor their status.
“In addition to that, scientists in our laboratories here at CDC are looking closely at the bird flu viruses to see if there are any changes in their DNA that might tell us if these viruses are able to spread more easily to people, between people, and, importantly, whether they might be causing more serious illness,” Shah added.
Although the overall risk to humans is low, the CDC is taking “aggressive steps” to make sure Americans stay well and informed, a doctor said. (REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo)
Although the risk to the public “remains low” currently, the doctor offered guidance for certain groups that may be at a higher risk.
“If you happen to work around animals, whether it’s chickens, whether it’s cattle, or whether it’s pigs, and you develop signs and symptoms that might otherwise be the flu, it’s important to make sure you call a health care provider and have a conversation with them.”
Not another COVID, experts say
The current situation with bird flu is different from the early days of COVID-19, Shah said during the briefing.
“We are in a much different place because of over two decades of investment in planning and preparing for things like influenza,” he said.
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“As a result of that extensive planning and preparedness, there are medicines in place.”
If those medications are given early, they can reduce the severity and duration of illness, as was the case with the farmer in Texas, Shah noted.
“This is just one of many ways in which … influenza and bird flu differs from what many of us remember from four years ago,” he added.
Vaccines and prevention
The traditional influenza vaccine doesn’t provide much protection against avian flu, the experts noted.
“Even though they are … basically the same virus, they differ just enough to where the flu shot — which we hope everyone gets — doesn’t do a great job at protecting you,” said Shah.
“It might do a little bit of work, but it’s not enough to take you to the bank.”
“We’re not at a spot where vaccination is recommended for anyone,” a doctor said in the briefing on Thursday. (Julian Stratenschulte/dpa)
David Boucher, PhD, director of Infectious Diseases Preparedness and Response at ASPR in Washington, D.C., spoke during the Thursday briefing about the potential need for a bird flu vaccine.
“We’re not at a spot where vaccination is recommended for anyone,” he said.
Through the National Influenza Vaccine Program, the ASPR works with health partners to identify influenza viruses that are “just a little bit different from the things that we’ve seen in the past,” Boucher said.
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For a novel virus, the team develops “building blocks” of a vaccine, he noted.
“The good news here is that this system has worked the way we hoped it would, and we have an initial supply of the building blocks we would need if we needed vaccines for the [H5N1] virus,” he said.
To monitor potential spread, the CDC is on the lookout for an increase in emergency department visits or laboratory tests that might signal a “cluster of cases,” a doctor said. (REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration)
In that scenario, Boucher said, the ASPR could partner with manufacturers of seasonal influenza vaccines for “large-scale” production.
Boucher also emphasized the importance of personal protective equipment (PPE) — such as gloves, goggles, face shields and N95 masks — for agricultural workers who may be close to infected animals.
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To monitor potential spread, the CDC is on the lookout for an increase in emergency department visits or laboratory tests that might signal a “cluster of cases,” Shah said.
“We’re also more recently looking at wastewater to see if there are changes there,” he said.
People can stay up to date on the latest bird flu developments from the CDC, the USDA, the FDA and other trusted sources of information, Shah added.
“We should be alert, not alarmed.”
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health.
Fox News’ Health newsletter brings you stories on the latest developments in health care, wellness, diseases, mental health and more.
TOP 3:
– Stem cell therapy could correct heart failure in children, say doctors and specialists at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia.
– Doctors saved a pregnant woman and her baby after discovering a grapefruit-sized tumor in her chest cavity.
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Researchers at MCRI are studying and reprogramming the potential of the blood to treat disease, specifically heart failure in children. (iStock)
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A Chicago woman was just weeks away from giving birth when a nagging cough led to a shocking medical discovery.
MaKenna Lauterbach, then 26 years old, began experiencing severe coughing fits in the last three months of her pregnancy.
“They would be so severe that I would become winded and nauseous to the point of vomiting,” she told Fox News Digital.
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Lauterbach, who lives on a farm in Washburn, Illinois, also began noticing shortness of breath while tending to her horses and goats.
“I give hay to the horses every morning and noticed how winded I was becoming with a dry cough,” she said. “My body felt like I just ran two miles, when, in reality, I had only walked to the barn and back.”
MaKenna Lauterbach, pictured with her husband, Parker, and new baby, Colter, was diagnosed with stage 3 melanoma. (Northwestern Medicine)
Some doctors dismissed Lauterbach’s symptoms, she said, repeatedly telling her, “It’s because you are pregnant.”
Eventually, though, when the coughing led to vomiting, doctors performed scans and detected a large, grapefruit-sized tumor in her middle chest cavity and right lung, which was completely blocking the artery to the right lung.
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“It’s extremely rare to see this type of tumor invading into the major blood vessels of the heart,” said Chris Mehta, M.D. — a cardiac surgeon with the Northwestern Medicine Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute who specializes in complex heart reconstruction — in a press release.
“It’s extremely rare to see this type of tumor invading into the major blood vessels of the heart.”
“We may see something like this once every few years.”
The tumor had put Lauterbach — and her baby — into respiratory distress.
‘In real trouble’
Lauterbach was flown to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, where a large medical team was waiting for her.
“MaKenna was in real trouble, and we had to act quickly – this wasn’t something that could wait for Monday morning,” said Lynn Yee, M.D., maternal-fetal medicine specialist at Northwestern Medicine, in the release.
Though he was born three weeks early, little Colter is a thriving, happy baby boy today. “As for myself, I am still healing, emotionally and physically,” said Lauterbach. (MaKenna Lauterbach)
“When you’re pregnant with a baby that’s nearly full term, your lungs already aren’t functioning at full capacity, and when you add a huge tumor on top of it, you run the risk of having respiratory collapse and cardiac arrest.”
The baby was not tolerating the contractions well and Lauterbach’s blood pressure was plummeting.
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The team performed an emergency cesarean section — and on Easter Sunday, a healthy baby boy, Colten, was born.
‘Blindsiding news’
After the delivery, it was time to address the tumor.
“The tumor was sitting on top of MaKenna’s heart and extended into the right lung, impacting all three lobes and the entire main trunk of the pulmonary artery,” said Kalvin Lung, M.D., a thoracic surgeon with the Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic Institute, in the release.
Doctors performed a biopsy and diagnosed Lauterbach with stage 3 melanoma.
The Lauterbach family lives on a farm in Washburn, Illinois. MaKenna Lauterbach first experienced severe coughing fits and shortness of breath when tending to the horses and goats. (MaKenna Lauterbach)
The doctors believe she may have had a melanoma on her skin at some point, and that “a cell or two escaped” and began growing inside her body.
“It was truly blindsiding news,” Lauterbach told Fox News Digital. “When I first got the diagnosis, I went through a roller coaster of emotions.”
“I was grieving the birth plan I had spent months preparing, while also dealing with the news of my unexpected diagnosis.”
After first feeling relief at having an answer, she said she felt some anger that her symptoms had been dismissed earlier. Then there was the fear of the cancer itself.
“Because of the tumor, the delivery happened so quickly. I was grieving the birth plan I had spent months preparing, while also dealing with the news of my unexpected diagnosis,” she said.
“My situation was serious, and while my clinical team was working on a plan to treat my cancer, it was comforting to know that the NICU nurses [at Northwestern] were taking such wonderful care of our son.”
Taking life-saving action
The team at Northwestern recommended that Lauterbach undergo three cycles of immunotherapy before surgery, which helped shrink her tumor by 30%.
Dr. Lung and Dr. Mehta removed Lauterbach’s entire right lung, parts of the main pulmonary artery and her lymph nodes.
The Lauterbach family is pictured with, left to right, Dr. Kalvin Lung, registered nurse Mary Schuessler and Dr. Lynn Yee. (Northwestern Medicine)
“The surgery was risky relative to other cancer surgeries due to the need for cardiopulmonary bypass, and the need to repair the main artery going to both lungs, but it was done under very safe conditions with well-proven techniques,” Dr. Lung told Fox News Digital.
“We were concerned that even with the extent of surgery, we would not be able to completely remove the tumor,” he went on.
If the tumor had grown just slightly more into the main artery going to the lungs, or if it had involved the heart, it would have been a different outcome.
But the surgery was a success, and Lauterbach’s latest scans showed no evidence of metastatic melanoma.
Colter Lauterbach is pictured with Santa ahead of his first Christmas. (MaKenna Lauterbach)
“Her outcome was very good,” Dr. Lung told Fox News Digital. “She has recovered from surgery almost entirely, and her main issue is shortness of breath, which is a consequence of only having one lung.”
“In terms of cancer prognosis, we expect it to be quite good, given that the entire tumor responded to the immunotherapy treatment she received.”
‘New normal’
Today, though he was born three weeks early, little Colter Lauterbach is a thriving, happy baby boy.
“As for myself, I am still healing, emotionally and physically,” said MaKenna Lauterbach. “My lung capacity is getting close to ‘the new normal’ for me and I’m finally starting to return to some sort of normal routine.”
“There are some days when the bad memories and the unknowns haunt my thoughts.”
Looking ahead, Lauterbach will continue immunotherapy treatments for one year, and the doctors will continue to monitor CT scans to ensure the cancer doesn’t come back.
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Her cancer is currently considered a “stable disease,” doctors say, which means no new tumors have appeared.
The new mother, who turned 27 in October, said she is looking forward to her son’s first Christmas on the farm.
MaKenna and Parker Lauterbach are pictured with their son, Colter, after he was born by emergency cesarean section. (MaKenna Lauterbach)
“Emotionally, I try my best not to let reality weigh on me, but there are some days when the bad memories and the unknowns haunt my thoughts,” she said.
“Colter and my wonderful husband, Parker, are what have given me the strength to make it through everything.”
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health
For other women, Lauterbach emphasized the importance of “knowing your body.”
She advised, “If you know something isn’t right, don’t take ‘I don’t know’ for an answer. Find someone who will take your concerns seriously and would rather do extra testing just in case, as opposed to missing something life-threatening.”
Getting a good night’s sleep can be a little more challenging amid the hype of the holidays.
With changes in routine, diet and potentially time zones, quality sleep could be difficult to come by.
Around 42% of U.S. adults struggle with sleep issues during the holiday season, according to a CNET survey.
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More than half of millennials and Gen Zers said their sleep quality was impacted significantly over the holidays, the survey found.
42% of U.S. adults struggle with sleep issues during the holiday season, according to a survey. (iStock)
Dr. Brian Licuanan, a board-certified clinical psychologist in California, told Fox News Digital that there are a variety of reasons sleep can be disrupted, including medical and mental health conditions, diet, alcohol intake and other lifestyle behaviors, like screen exposure.
Spending the holidays in someone else’s home or experiencing a change in a normal wake/sleep routine can also impact sleep quality, he said.
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Licuanan, author of “How to Get Your Resisting Loved One Into Treatment,” offered the following five tips on how to improve sleep during the holiday season.
1. Prepare to sleep away from home
Especially for those who are traveling across time zones, sleep schedules will most likely take a hit.
“Try to adjust accordingly,” the expert suggested. “If you’re in a time zone ahead of your usual one, consider going to bed earlier, since you may feel sleepy sooner.”
One expert suggested bringing earplugs or a sleep mask when sleeping away from home. (iStock )
“If you’re in a time zone behind your usual one, try delaying your bedtime to allow your body to build up enough sleepiness.”
If you’re staying as a guest in someone’s home or at a hotel, it might be helpful to bring some tools to help ensure a good night’s sleep.
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This could include earplugs or eye masks, Licuanan said, which are “good ways to replicate the quiet and darkness that you may have in your home.”
2. Be mindful of changes in diet, alcohol and exercise
As many people may eat and drink more than usual during the holidays, Licuanan advised being mindful of the amount of consumption.
Exercise routines are likely to shift during this time as well.
“[Alcohol] could impair certain stages of sleep, causing you to feel groggy and tired the following day,” the expert said. (iStock)
“[Alcohol] could impair certain stages of sleep, causing you to feel groggy and tired the following day,” he said.
“Carve out time for exercise and healthy eating habits, as that will help you relax and promote better sleep.”
3. Stay organized
Keeping organized during the busy holiday season can help prevent the mind from racing before bed, according to Licuanan.
He recommended making a list of items or tasks that need to be done the next day to organize your thoughts.
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“Writing things down can help you feel more relaxed and take out the extra and unnecessary thoughts that can disrupt your sleep,” Licuanan said.
Staying on top of what needs to be done can promote better sleep, experts say. (iStock)
4. Communicate with your partner
Balancing relationships over the holidays can also cause unwanted stress and sleep disruption.
To prevent unnecessary hiccups, Licuanan encouraged having an open dialogue with your partner about holiday expectations.
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“Divvy up responsibilities, so one person is not overwhelmed with things to do,” he advised.
“Such activities can include buying groceries, wrapping gifts, picking up family members at the airport or providing entertainment for guests.”
Dividing responsibilities between partners can prevent overwhelming one person and promote more restful sleep. (iStock)
5. Practice mindfulness and relaxation techniques
While the holidays can be filled with potential stressors, Licuanan suggested practicing mindfulness and relaxation techniques to fuel good sleep later.
“Continual social gatherings, travel and spontaneous activities can all heighten stress levels,” he said.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health
“Managing the levels of stress with mindfulness and relaxation techniques can help ensure that you are relaxed physically and mentally in order to better accomplish good, relaxed sleep.”
Licuanan encouraged all holiday celebrants to stay positive, have fun and try to enjoy the season.
“Though the holidays may present a level of stress, it’s important to remember things such as gratitude and the positive things in life, as a positive mindset can lower stress, which will likely improve sleep quality,” he added.
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