June 7, 2024

H5N1 avian flu detected in San Francisco, US

US health officials reported that the H5N1 avian flu was detected last month in two asymptomatic chickens at a live bird market in San Francisco, California, US, with no indication of public exposure, CBS News reported.

The virus was identified during routine testing by the California Department of Food and Agriculture at live bird markets across the state. Market employees who had close contact with the birds were monitored for 10 days and reported no symptoms, according to San Francisco Director of Health Dr Grant Colfax in a report for the health commission.

There were no public exposures, and the market has since reopened.

Following the virus detection in chickens, WastewaterSCAN, a national collaborative monitoring infectious diseases in municipal wastewater systems, found fragments of H5N1 genetic material in the city's wastewater. A subsequent test found no fragments, and the health department is investigating the findings.

San Francisco is currently the only city in California with a positive H5N1 detection.

The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is closely monitoring avian influenza H5N1, including recent outbreaks in dairy cattle and a single instance of spread from cattle to a dairy worker in Texas reported on April 1, 2024.

The public is advised to avoid touching all wild animals, including sick or dead birds, and to consume only pasteurised milk or dairy products.

-      CBS News