Bird Flu Returns: States Team Up to Protect Poultry

In the heat of bird flu outbreaks across the United States, Maryland and Delaware have joined forces to tackle the problem. This partnership comes after Maryland found bird flu in three different poultry flocks over the past week, marking the state's first outbreak in over a year. The deadly bird flu, H5N1, has been causing chaos in the poultry industry, leading to the death of millions of egg-laying hens and a significant rise in egg prices. So far, more than 134 million birds have been affected by the US outbreak, as reported by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA is preparing a new stockpile of H5N1 vaccines for poultry, though they aren't ready for use yet. This highlights the need for increased vigilance not just among animals but also among the people who work with them. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has advised hospitals to test flu-positive patients quickly, particularly those in intensive care units, to speed up contact tracing and investigations. Collaboration between states and localities is crucial for managing these cross-boundary outbreaks. This is especially true in the Delmarva region, where the poultry industry is a massive business, valued at $4. 4 billion last year. Delmarva raises around 601 million chickens annually, accounting for 6. 5% of the nation's poultry supply. The first signs of trouble came from wastewater tests near Georgetown, Delaware, which detected H5 bird flu. Soon after, a probable human case with no known animal exposure was found.Migratory birds, like snow geese, have been spreading the virus along their migration route. Starting in late December, dozens of sick or dead snow geese were found on Prime Hook Beach in Delaware. In early January, similar cases were reported in Maryland. The virus then jumped to chickens, with the first cases reported in Delaware’s Kent county on 3 January, and soon after in Maryland. Both states quickly formed a joint command center to track the outbreak and test surrounding flocks. Everyone is on high alert to prevent further spread. All commercial flocks in Delaware and Maryland are tested for avian influenza before processing. Producers and backyard flock owners are encouraged to report any sick or dead birds. Once confirmed, infected flocks are culled to stop the virus from spreading further. Health departments provide guidance to farmworkers, including what protective gear to use and what symptoms to watch for. Since March 2024, there have been 67 confirmed and seven probable H5N1 cases in the US, with at least 23 people getting sick from commercial poultry operations. One person in Louisiana died from the virus after contact with a backyard flock and wild birds. Nirav Shah, from the CDC, emphasized the need for faster testing of hospitalized patients to understand how infections are happening and if the virus is changing. "We need to shift to a system that tells us what's happening in the moment, " Shah said.