Bird Flu News:
- Two pet cats in Michigan may have caught H5N1 from their owners, who were dairy workers with mild symptoms, according to a much-anticipated MMWR study released this week. (MMWR)
- Canada purchased its first 500,000 doses of a bird flu vaccine for humans to start its stockpile. (CIDRAP)
- Bird flu was found in rats for the first time this week, though it’s already been found in mice. (APHIS)
- USDA says it mistakenly fired officials working on bird flu and is working to quickly rehire them. (NBC)
Health News:
- Next week’s scheduled meeting of the CDC vaccine advisory committee (ACIP) was postponed with no additional details, and their “Wild to Mild” flu vaccination ad campaign was stopped. (STAT)
- The West Texas measles outbreak has grown significantly from 58 cases on Tuesday to 90 cases as of Friday morning, the majority in children. (TX DSHS)
- Doctors visits for flu have reached the highest numbers in 15 years. (CBS)
- HHS will continue to ship free COVID tests to Americans for now. (Washington Post)
- Tests have ruled out Ebola and Marburg in two unexplained illness clusters in the DR Congo with 400+ cases and 45 deaths. Children in the initial cluster report eating bats, and further testing is underway. (CIDRAP)
- Wastewater testing may help identify Hep A outbreaks even if people don’t seek medical attention. (MMWR)
- U.S. hospitals are on track for a capacity crisis by 2032, at which point 85% of their beds will be full on any given day. (Newsweek)
- Years after an Apple study, its tech supported the development of a free asthma management tool. (Asthma Tool, STAT)
Best Questions:
What does spillover mean?
Spillover is basically when a virus or other pathogen jumps from one population where it’s common (in this case, birds) to another (in this case, cows - and cats, dolphins, polar bears, mice, humans, etc.) This week, there was news of a third spillover event in Arizona cows. These are unique instances where H5N1 spread from wild birds to dairy herds. The first one happened last winter in TX, and in the past two weeks, we’ve found evidence of two different spillover events in NV and AZ after bulk milk testing found evidence of a slightly different version of the virus in each outbreak. Each spillover event itself doesn’t raise the risk of a human pandemic, but it does mean that the dairy industry’s problems don’t seem to have an end in sight. Herds across the U.S. are still coming into contact with infected wild birds, so we can expect that spillover events will likely keep happening unless something changes. Right now, lots of so-called “dry lot farms” are open to the elements, and recent evidence suggests the virus may spread via wind after wild bird flocks leave feces and body fluids in loose soil that blows into livestock enclosures. Biosecurity measures may help to reduce this type of spread from contact with wild birds, but it would mean a massive investment in infrastructure and would take time. For now, we think this means that more testing of the milk supply is needed to help identify sick herds early and take preventative action.
Sources: CDC, CIDRAP
What can we learn from the big “Food for Thought” food safety report?
The U.S. Public Interest Research Group released its new food safety report last week, revealing a serious rise in foodborne illnesses in 2024, with more than double the hospitalizations and deaths compared to the previous year. A vast majority (98%) of the nearly 1,400 reported cases stemmed from just 13 outbreaks. All but one of those outbreaks involved Listeria, Salmonella, or E. coli. And even though there were fewer overall recalls last year, the number caused by one of those three pathogens increased significantly, and nearly 4 in 10 recalls last year were due to contamination by Listeria, Salmonella, or E. coli. So what can food service operators actually do to stay out of the news?
- Source safely
- Reduce off-contract purchasing - that great deal on Costco hot dogs may come back to bite you if your team doesn’t realize that there’s a recall.
- Focus on time and temp…
- Especially for food items that don’t have a kill step (think, diced raw onions on a Quarter Pounder, for example), maintaining proper cold holding temps is key.
- …But don’t forget to sanitize
- Unlike most bacteria, Listeria can grow in cold environments, so it’s also important to clean and sanitize your fridges and freezers, cutting boards, and all food prep surfaces.
- Keep sick employees home & focus on handwashing
- At least 40% of restaurant outbreaks are tied to sick workers, and of those, improper bare- and gloved-hand contact with ready-to-eat food was a major source.
Sources: PIRG, CIDRAP, FDA
Best Read:
Two flu peaks, lots of flu A (compared to the generally less-severe flu B), a good-but-not-great match with the flu shot, and less exposure to flu during the pandemic are all contributing to the worst flu season in decades.