United States: The concerns related to the bird flu infections have been increasing at an astonishing pace, from raw milk to wastewater – the health experts have been surveying every possible source of contamination.
Recently, the health authorities of Forsyth County has announced that the wastewater of the County has been found with fragments of bird flu. The research was conducted by the group of the researchers who has monitored the spread of the infectious diseases in wastewater across the country.
The researchers have claimed that the test was conducted on the wastewater sample collected between February and April and residues of bird flu were seen in the wastewater sample collected in early days of April.
However, the Forsyth County Public Health Director – Joshua Swift has outlined that the risk associated to the infection has been low because the fragments of the infection were seen in the wastewater and not drinking water.
Swift was quoted saying, “This group believes that it’s from dairy products that have gone into the wastewater system.” Further elaborating the details about the presence of the sample, the researchers revealed that the wastewater samples were collected from the Archie Elledge wastewater treatment plant in the County.
In addition this, Swift outlined that this information was made public to make them aware about the latest findings but not to make them fearful of the recent discovery. He further outlined that Swift also mentioned that the drinking water is safe for the public.
The expert mentioned, “Only consume pasteurized dairy products, and use good hand hygiene, especially when you’ve been around or handling cattle or poultry. The water is safe. It’s treated. I’m drinking the water.”
Wastewater Surveillance: Detecting H5 Influenza Amid Dairy Concerns
Amid uncertainty about the extent of H5N1 avian flu spread in dairy cattle and its potential spillover to humans, wastewater testing has become a crucial surveillance tool. Newly published results reveal that scientists from WastewaterSCAN have detected significant levels of H5 influenza in three treatment plants located in communities where H5N1 has been found in cattle.
In other news, a dairy specialist from Michigan State University Extension shared a case report on an outbreak at a Michigan dairy farm. The report indicates that symptoms in cows were more severe than previously described and highlights the challenges farmers face in containing the virus.