An unusual surge in flu viruses detected at wastewater treatment plants in California and other parts of the country is raising concerns among some experts that H5N1 bird flu may be spreading farther and faster than health officers initially thought.
In the last several weeks, wastewater surveillance at 59 of 190 U.S. municipal and regional sewage plants has revealed an out-of-season spike in influenza A flu viruses a category that also includes H5N1.
The testing which is intended to monitor the prevalence of normal flu viruses that affect humans has also shown a moderate to high upward trend at 40 sites across California, including San Francisco, Oakland and San Diego. Almost every city tested in the Bay Area shows moderate to high increases of type A viruses.
Alexandria Boehm, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University and principal investigator and program director for WastewaterSCAN an infectious disease monitoring network run by researchers at labs at Stanford, Emory University and Alphabet Inc.s life sciences research organization was careful to note that an increase in human influenza A virus in wastewater does not necessarily mean that bird flu is present. However, it does raise that question.
Some experts fear that H5N1 is essentially flying under the radar, spreading undetected among birds, livestock and possibly humans, and say the increase in positive test results at sewage plants could be an indication of this. They worry that if the virus continues to spread among livestock, there is a greater risk that the virus will mutate in a way that makes it more of a threat to humans.
There seems to be an outbreak throughout California, and, as far as I know, they havent reported any infected cows in that state yet, said Marc Johnson, a professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at the University of Missouri, referring to the cluster of yellow and orange dots on the WastewaterSCAN map.
Johnson is among a number of experts urging the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to test specifically for H5N1 and to make those results public.
Avian flu has been positively identified in 42 cattle herds across nine states, suggesting its spread has been somewhat limited. However, the wastewater surveillance testing shows a surge in flu viruses in 23 states, including some that have seen outbreaks at dairy farms.
Boehm said they have testing in 41 states; not all states participate in the WastewaterSCAN academic program.
So far, there have been no reported herds infected in California, which is the nations largest milk producer. The state supplies roughly 20% of the nations milk, is home to about 1,300 dairy farms and has an estimated 1.7 million dairy cows.
Most human influenza viruses are seasonal, arriving in the fall and disappearing by early spring. Therefore, finding the virus in wastewater during these periods is what wed expect when you have more influenza cases in hospitals, more hospitalizations, more emergency department visits, said Boehm, the Stanford professor.
What weve noticed this year is that after influenza season, there was a fraction of the wastewater treatment plants we survey, that when we looked closely at them at the end of April, there were increases, she said, including some really obvious ones such as two in Amarillo, Texas, where they knew H5N1 had been detected in dairy cattle nearby.
The team contacted the local public health department and got permission to test for bird flu virus. It was a match. So, too, was the wastewater from a Dallas plant.
Boehm said the finding suggests that the increases they are observing at these other sites 59 of the 190 that they track might also be avian flu.
She said the sites they are looking at deal with municipal, not agricultural, wastewater, so theyre not getting farm runoff.
Instead, at least in the case of Amarillo, its probably from permitted dairy processing centers places that were making cheese or yogurt ... that had a permit to discharge into the waste stream.
Whats causing the upward trend at other sites is not clear. But if the uptick is the result of bird-flu infected dairy getting into the municipal waste stream and since milk is generally trucked from dairies to processing centers the source of infection is probably not too far away. These positive sites provide a geographical flag for public health officials to take a closer look. (The CDC has said that pasteurization of milk kills the virus.)
Johnson, who developed an H5N1 assay to test wastewater in Missouri, was asked by federal officials to withhold using the test for fear it could add to the confusion.
This is the perfect example of why it makes sense, to test specifically for H5N1 in wastewater, he said. Because then you would know whether this is really H5, because no matter where its coming from, if its showing up in California, thats saying something.
Johnson said if the tests show its H5N1, there could be infected cows in California.
The CDC monitors roughly 600 sites, and what we are seeing is very localized increases that are out of season for seasonal flu, said Amy Kirby, senior service fellow in the Waterborne Disease Prevention Branch at the CDC.
She said that when they see those increases, they go in for a deeper look.
In an interview on Friday, she said she was unable to provide more information, because the agency was finalizing that data and checking it to make sure its correct.
Tom Skinner, a CDC spokesman, said that data will be available on the agencys avian flu dashboard Tuesday. He said in an email that some of the sites theyve looked at are in California, but declined to add more information until after the agency has posted its own dashboard.
To some researchers, the spike in viruses found in wastewater is a call to action.
I think we have a good opportunity here to kind of prepare in case of the worst case scenario, said John Dennehy, a virologist at the City University of New Yorks Graduate Center. Now, we know its there. We know it hasnt jumped into humans yet, but can we muster the public health infrastructure to prepare in advance if this should jump over from cows into humans? Whether it is coming from milk? Or some other means?
It was in Dennehys laboratory that New York Citys coronavirus wastewater test was developed.
Dennehy and his colleague, Denis Nash distinguished professor of epidemiology and executive director of City University of New Yorks Institute for Implementation Science in Population Health said its only been since about 2020 that researchers have been using wastewater surveillance to monitor public health.
Its now seen as a first line method of surveillance gathering information about outbreaks of flu, polio, rhinoviruses and other diseases. But its largely been driven by academics and local agencies.
In the case of bird flu, a more centralized, or organized, system of monitoring and messaging is required, they said.
I think the important thing here is that CDC should be describing whats going on with influenza A in wastewater, said Nash. Its great that academics are doing it. We all are stepping in because it often seems like the government is a little bit delayed or just not engaged. But really, the CDC should be leading this.
Calls to wastewater treatment centers in Santa Cruz and Oakland went unreturned. A query to an official at UC Davis wastewater treatment center, which shows an uptick, also went unanswered.
See the rest here:
Is there bird flu in California's wastewater? - Los Angeles Times
- 4in1 flu vaccination can help protect from Swine Flu (H1N1) and three other flu strains - Times of India [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2022]
- Two years on from our 'immune holiday', it's party time for germs. Here's why - Stuff [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2022]
- Scientists hedging bets with mixed COVID vaccine for original strain and Omicron variants - Sky News [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2022]
- People aged 65 and over in Lothian to get winter booster jab as Scotlands winter vaccination programme gets under way - Edinburgh News [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2022]
- The U.K. Releases 55 Million Game Birds Every Year. This Group Says Not to Release Any Amid Avian Flu Fears - Outdoor Life [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2022]
- Opinion | When Will the Pandemic End? And Other Pressing Questions, Answered - The New York Times [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2022]
- UArizona prepares for start of classes with resources on COVID, flu and monkeypox - University of Arizona News [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2022]
- Thailand To Start Treating Covid Like The Flu From October - Travel Off Path [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2022]
- Moderna plans single, annual shot for COVID, flu and other respiratory virus - WRAL News [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2022]
- Got Flu? Heres How Long Youll Be Contagious - Health Essentials [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2022]
- Extending dogs' lives, and sex and the immune system - MIT Technology Review [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2022]
- A fowl virus: What the bird flu means for PA agriculture and how to fight it - cityandstatepa.com [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2022]
- When is the Best Time to Get a Flu Shot This Year? - Healthline [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2022]
- Scientists Have Re-Created The Deadly 1918 Flu Virus. Why? - Forbes [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2022]
- Xofluza Approved to Treat and Prevent Flu in Children 5 to 12 Years Old - Everyday Health [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2022]
- Colds and the flu ruin our winters. COVID isnt nearly as pickybut this could be changing - Fortune [Last Updated On: August 15th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 15th, 2022]
- COVID-19 still a factor in almost 11K deaths in N.Y. this year - Times Union [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 18th, 2022]
- Higher risk of vein blood clots in COVID vs flu patients - CIDRAP [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 18th, 2022]
- Experts debunk monkeypox myths as misinformation spreads - The 19th* [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 18th, 2022]
- Pets Corner forced to shut to limit bird flu spread after virus detected in two of the city's parks - Leicestershire Live [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 18th, 2022]
- Leicester peregrine falcon that lived at Leicester Cathedral dies amid bird flu outbreak - Leicestershire Live [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 18th, 2022]
- Poorest at risk of flu if they cant afford to heat homes, minister admits - The Independent [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 18th, 2022]
- Theres good news in the crowded field of Omicron subvariants: Bad Ned is (nearly) deadbut Aeterna and Centaurus are on the rise - Fortune [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 18th, 2022]
- Portland will test wastewater for monkeypox and other viruses - Press Herald [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 18th, 2022]
- Experts warn of spike in Swine flu cases in Delhi: Know what it is & why you should be concerned - Economic Times [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 18th, 2022]
- It's going to be a complicated fall for Covid and flu vaccinations - STAT - STAT [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 18th, 2022]
- When COVID-19 or flu viruses kill, they often have an accomplice bacterial infections - The Conversation [Last Updated On: August 18th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 18th, 2022]
- Why is swine flu surging in Maharashtra? What are the symptoms? - The Indian Express [Last Updated On: August 20th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 20th, 2022]
- 3 cases of avian flu now suspected in Nunavut - CBC.ca [Last Updated On: August 20th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 20th, 2022]
- Avian flu vaccination becoming less of a taboo topic - WATTAgNet Industry News & Trends [Last Updated On: August 20th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 20th, 2022]
- Monkeypox transmission, vaccines and treatment | HealthFocus SA | University Health - University Health System [Last Updated On: August 20th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 20th, 2022]
- Getting a Grip on Influenza: The Pursuit of a Universal Vaccine (Part 2) - Forbes [Last Updated On: August 20th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 20th, 2022]
- Summer colds: this may explain why so many have suffered them this year - The Conversation [Last Updated On: August 20th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 20th, 2022]
- What is tomato flu? Very contagious virus detected in kids, docs warn - New York Post [Last Updated On: August 20th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 20th, 2022]
- Flu Viral: Here Are The Most Common Queries Answered - NDTV [Last Updated On: August 20th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 20th, 2022]
- Heres why you caught that summer cold, again - ThePrint [Last Updated On: August 30th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 30th, 2022]
- Getting a Grip on Influenza: The Pursuit of a Universal Vaccine (Part 3) - Forbes [Last Updated On: August 30th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 30th, 2022]
- What is the tomato flu? Scientists monitoring outbreak in India - FOX 35 Orlando [Last Updated On: August 30th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 30th, 2022]
- What to know about the tomato flu virus doctors are tracking in India - KRQE News 13 [Last Updated On: August 30th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 30th, 2022]
- Flu and COVID-19 do not belong to the same virus family - Rappler [Last Updated On: August 30th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 30th, 2022]
- 'Tomato Flu': Everything you need to know about the virus [Last Updated On: August 30th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 30th, 2022]
- Influenza - Wikipedia [Last Updated On: August 30th, 2022] [Originally Added On: August 30th, 2022]
- Fauci warns of bad flu season brewing as he nears office exit - The Peninsula [Last Updated On: September 3rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 3rd, 2022]
- Why is swine flu seeing a resurgence in India this year? - Scroll.in [Last Updated On: September 3rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 3rd, 2022]
- What to know about the tomato flu virus doctors are tracking in India - WATE 6 On Your Side [Last Updated On: September 3rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 3rd, 2022]
- Omicron boosters targeting the BA.4, BA.5 subvariants are coming to Colorado. Here's what you need to know. - Denver 7 Colorado News [Last Updated On: September 3rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 3rd, 2022]
- Will the Flu Arrive by October 2022? - Precision Vaccinations [Last Updated On: September 3rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 3rd, 2022]
- Synthetic DNA nasal spray could stop COVID, flu, and other viruses - Freethink [Last Updated On: September 3rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 3rd, 2022]
- Detection of a novel bird flu virus with pandemic potential - News-Medical.Net [Last Updated On: September 3rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 3rd, 2022]
- 'Tomato flu' outbreak in India here's what it really is - Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance [Last Updated On: September 6th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 6th, 2022]
- Covid-19: What NZ flu data is revealing about coronavirus - New Zealand Herald [Last Updated On: September 6th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 6th, 2022]
- Flu and Covid jab programme starts ahead of 'winter wave of respiratory virus' - HeraldScotland [Last Updated On: September 6th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 6th, 2022]
- Flu & COVID-19 vaccines recommended amidst concerning seasonal trends - AustinTexas.gov [Last Updated On: September 6th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 6th, 2022]
- After a challenging winter with the flu and Covid, coughs and colds are due to 'take a holiday' - Stuff [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2022]
- Global Influenza Vaccines Market Analysis/Forecast 2022-2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Analysis by Vaccine Type, Virus Type, Technology, and Route of... [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2022]
- Chewing to curb COVID | Penn Today - Penn Today [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2022]
- Seriously, Flu Could Be Bad This Year - The Atlantic [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2022]
- New bird flu wave in France raises fears deadly virus here to stay - Reuters [Last Updated On: September 7th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 7th, 2022]
- Novid: Freaks or flu-proof? - Times of India [Last Updated On: September 10th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 10th, 2022]
- Hantavirus: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention - Healthline [Last Updated On: September 10th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 10th, 2022]
- Turkey prices are surging ahead of Thanksgiving due to disease - CBS News [Last Updated On: September 10th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 10th, 2022]
- Swine flu: Warning signs and symptoms, treatments, key precautions to avoid H1N1 - Hindustan Times [Last Updated On: September 10th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 10th, 2022]
- Bird Flu Has Arrived in the U.S. Earlier Than Expected - Healthline [Last Updated On: September 10th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 10th, 2022]
- Avian influenza in major production hub in the Netherlands - Poultry World [Last Updated On: September 12th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 12th, 2022]
- The great RTO/WFH war means COVID is really over this fall - Fortune [Last Updated On: September 12th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 12th, 2022]
- 'It looked like a triage in there': Riders ravaged by stomach flu in Banjo Bowl blowout - 3downnation.com [Last Updated On: September 12th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 12th, 2022]
- Is it a Cold or the Flu? - Onmanorama [Last Updated On: September 12th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 12th, 2022]
- Reconfiguring COVID and influenza vaccines for long-term effectiveness - - pharmaphorum [Last Updated On: September 23rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 23rd, 2022]
- Flu shot, COVID boosters, TPOXX treatments and more with Andrea Garcia, JD, MPH - American Medical Association [Last Updated On: September 23rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 23rd, 2022]
- Record flu surge predicted this winter as health experts urge people to get their shots - Cambridgeshire Live [Last Updated On: September 23rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 23rd, 2022]
- Bite-Size Science: A pandemic of the animal kingdom? Bird flu outbreak spreads to marine mammal populations - Tufts Daily [Last Updated On: September 23rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 23rd, 2022]
- Explainer: Everything you need to know about Swine flu - Hindustan Times [Last Updated On: September 23rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 23rd, 2022]
- Updated Boosters Are Optimized to Better Protect Against Newer COVID-19 Variants - University of Utah Health Care [Last Updated On: September 23rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 23rd, 2022]
- Ducks offer clues to avian influenza risk - MPR News [Last Updated On: September 23rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 23rd, 2022]
- Flu season is here: Symptoms, shots and side effects - Nebraska Medicine [Last Updated On: September 23rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 23rd, 2022]
- Why COVID Is Still Worse Than Flu - The Atlantic [Last Updated On: September 23rd, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 23rd, 2022]
- How to get a booster shot at Yale and in New Haven - Yale Daily News [Last Updated On: September 29th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 29th, 2022]
- Campylobacter Gastroenteritis: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention - Healthline [Last Updated On: September 29th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 29th, 2022]
- Junior Museum and Zoo removes birds from view amid avian flu outbreak - Mountain View Voice [Last Updated On: September 29th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 29th, 2022]
- Dutch trials begin on bird flu vaccination in first year-round outbreak - DutchNews.nl - DutchNews.nl [Last Updated On: September 29th, 2022] [Originally Added On: September 29th, 2022]