This week, worries about bird flu have risen significantly as the H5N1 virus continues to spread across the nation’s dairy and poultry farms. Additionally, the first severe case in the U.S. has resulted in hospitalization.

Federal health officials announced on Wednesday that an elderly individual in Louisiana is in “severe” condition after contracting the virus from a backyard flock of birds. This person is among 61 reported cases in the U.S. this year.

Globally, nearly half of the people infected with bird flu have succumbed to the disease; however, up until now, there have been no fatalities in the U.S., and cases were mostly mild until this recent incident.

The Louisiana case represents the first confirmed illness in the U.S. linked to a backyard flock. The specific strain of H5N1 contracted by the patient differs from the one primarily affecting cattle, poultry, and farm workers earlier this year, according to the CDC. Nonetheless, it shares similarities with strains found in wild birds and other confirmed human cases in places like Washington State and British Columbia.

Here are key points to consider while the CDC and other federal and state agencies work to manage the situation:

Who Is At Risk?

Individuals who have close contact with infected birds, such as poultry and dairy farm workers, face a higher risk of contracting bird flu.

The CDC recommends that those with backyard flocks or who go hunting practice safe handling of birds.

Pasteurized dairy products are deemed safe as extensive testing has confirmed. However, public health officials advise against consuming raw milk, which has occasionally been detected containing sufficient virus levels to pose a risk, although no cases of infection via milk consumption have been reported.

What Are the Symptoms?

So far, individuals in the U.S. who have contracted bird flu have generally experienced mild symptoms.

Symptoms of H5N1 infection can include pink eye, fever, fatigue, cough, muscle pains, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, nasal congestion, and breathing difficulties, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Experts from the College of American Pathologists noted that symptoms may vary, as farm workers may experience different effects than others. This variation could result from different virus strains or methods of exposure.

For example, farm workers who may have touched contaminated cows could develop red eyes, which has been a frequent symptom for them. Conversely, someone interacting with a backyard chicken or a wild bird might have inhaled the virus, leading to more severe illness.

The Louisiana patient, exposed through contact with a backyard flock, is showing serious respiratory issues and is currently in critical condition, according to Emma Herrock, the communications director for the Louisiana Department of Health.

This patient also has underlying health problems and is over 65 years old, making them more susceptible to complications resulting from the flu, Herrock stated in an email.

Vaccine Development Status

At this point, health officials have not recommended that vaccines be administered for bird flu, given that there’s no evidence of human-to-human transmission, a limited number of infections, and mostly mild cases reported so far.

During the winter flu season, efforts have been made to vaccinate the nation’s 200,000 livestock workers against seasonal influenza. Although standard flu vaccines do not protect against H5N1, there are concerns that co-infection with both strains of flu could lead to the emergence of a more severe or transmissible form of bird flu.

Additionally, federal authorities have prepared approximately 10 million doses of an H5N8 vaccine, which they believe could be effective against H5N1, ready in case the virus escalates in severity.

Concerned about a potential outbreak affecting its mink industry and by extension its workers, Finland distributed similar vaccines to its livestock workers this past summer.

The U.S. is also investing in research for vaccine options to combat bird flu. A recent study involving Moderna’s mRNA vaccine appeared promising, showing effective immune responses.

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania have created an innovative experimental mRNA vaccine that has been successful in preventing severe illness and death in ferrets, an animal commonly used for testing flu vaccines.

Efforts are also underway to develop vaccines to protect other animals, particularly valuable dairy cows. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that, as of Thursday, the virus has affected 875 herds across 16 states.

According to Dr. Eric Deeble, a senior official at the USDA, seven vaccine field trials for cattle have received approval, although the vaccine development process is still in its early stages.

When should we be concerned?

At the time SARS-CoV-2 was first identified, there were no available tests for it. In contrast, testing for H5N1 is currently accessible, as noted by Dr. Ben Bradley, an assistant professor at the University of Utah School of Medicine’s pathology department.

Dr. Bradley emphasized that the challenges posed by H5N1 are significantly different from those presented by COVID-19, during a briefing by the College of American Pathologists (CAP) on Friday.

He expressed vigilance towards any indicators that could suggest a larger outbreak could occur.

One key concern would be any instances of likely person-to-person transmission.

Additionally, Dr. Bradley is worried that some individuals may have unknowingly contracted the virus, as tests have revealed that some dairy workers possess antibodies for H5N1. This suggests the virus may be disseminating faster and more subtly than previously believed.

While the CDC has documented 61 confirmed cases of bird flu in the U.S., multiple experts have indicated to YSL News that the actual number is likely much higher.

“Not fully understanding the complete situation right now is alarming,” stated Bradley, who also serves as the medical director of virology at ARUP, a national testing laboratory.

If the virus continues to infect more people and animals, it may have increased chances to mutate, which could lead to it becoming more contagious or dangerous.

“We must stay vigilant regarding the potential dangers posed by this,” Bradley warned.

Dr. Donald Karcher, the CAP president and a professor at George Washington University Medical Center, remarked on the unpredictability of whether bird flu will become a major threat. “This is an unpredictable process that viruses undergo, making it difficult to forecast when such an event might occur,” he explained.