UVA expert shares update on bird flu cases

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - Health officials are monitoring the spread of bird flu as it has moved from birds to poultry to mammals, and in some rare cases, humans.

Now, officials at University of Virginia (UVA) Health are discussing its possible impacts moving forward.

The virus is something health officials are monitoring, and while there has been an uptick nationwide, there are no confirmed cases in our hometowns. Those who work with animals are at a higher risk for contracting it, and experts say everyone should be aware of the illness.

In the last four months, the CDC has reported at least four bird flu outbreaks among dairy cows. That’s in addition to the nearly dozen cases tracked among birds and poultry.

UVA’s infectious disease expert explained bird flu is a highly contagious virus that in some instances can be passed onto humans.

“Many agricultural workers don’t have a great connection to health care, may not be able to take time off from work to seek attention if they’re sick, and so I think we’re probably getting an underestimate of the true amount of infections that are happening in humans,” Dr. Patrick Jackson said.

Dr. Jackson explained so far, bird flu has only spread between sick animals and humans, which is a good thing.

“We’ve only seen mild respiratory infections in people having direct interaction with sick animals and not human to human transmission,” Dr. Jackson said. “I think as long as we kind of maintain that situation then the risk to the general population is low.”

Experts say whether you work on a farm or not, consider getting a flu shot this year to protect yourself and others against influenza.

“The reason why it would be concerning to have a lot of people with regular seasonal influenza is that if you get infected with two different flu strains, those can recombine in the body and you get a very rapid evolution of a new influenza strain. That’s how we got, for example, the swine flu in 2009,” Dr. Jackson said. “We’re trying to prevent that situation.”

Farmers should make sure they are wearing protective gear around sick animals and isolate the infected livestock to prevent any potential spread. More precautionary tips can be found here.

Copyright 2024 WDBJ. All rights reserved.