Major CDC Press Release: After trying really, really hard, CDC found a 2nd case of conjunctivitis and attributes it to bird flu

Gee, if they keep finding these cases, the mortality rate will approach zero. Maybe someone should warn the CDC.

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/s0522-human-case-h5.html

Case Background

A dairy worker who was being monitored because of their work exposure to H5N1-infected cattle reported symptoms to local health officials. Two specimens were collected from the patient. An upper respiratory tract specimen collected from the worker’s nose was negative for influenza virus at the state health department laboratory. The eye specimen was sent to CDC for testing because it is one of a few labs where those specimens can be used with the CDC A(H5) test. The specimen was received by CDC and testing results confirmed A(H5) virus infection. The nasal specimen was retested at CDC and confirmed to be negative for influenza. The state was then notified of the results. The designation of the influenza virus neuraminidase (the N in the subtype) is pending genetic sequencing at CDC. Attempts to sequence the virus in the clinical specimen are underway and will be made available within 1-2 days if successful. Additional genetic analysis will look for any changes to the virus that could alter the agency’s risk assessment.

Conjunctivitis (eye infection) has been associated with previous human infections with avian influenza A viruses and is part of the current CDC case definition for A(H5N1) surveillance. While it’s not known exactly how eye infections result from avian influenza exposures, it may be from contamination of the eye(s), potentially with a splash of contaminated fluid, or touching the eye(s) with something contaminated with A(H5N1) virus, such as a hand. High levels of A(H5N1) virus have been found in unpasteurized milk from H5N1-infected cows.

CDC Activities—[Be impressed. Be Very Impressed—Nass]

This case was detected through the state’s implementation of CDC’s recommended monitoring and testing strategies in exposed persons. In addition to enhanced and targeted surveillance, CDC also has:

• Held numerous weekly engagements with state and local HDs around increasing their preparedness posture

• Updated interim recommendations for worker protection to include those who work with dairy cows

• Issued a Health Alert Notice (HAN) on identification of human infection and recommendations for investigations/response

• Held a call with states asking them to move from preparedness to readiness

• Updated interim recommendations for worker protection to include those who work in slaughterhouses

• Conducted numerous calls with groups representing farmworkers

• Asked states to furnish PPE for farmworkers [for conjunctivitis. Really?]

• Announced incentives for workers who participate in public health research efforts into the outbreak. [Pay workers to get tested so CDC can claim it found more cases]

• Asked states to work with clinical labs to increase submissions of positive influenza virus samples to public health labs for subtyping

Given the high levels of A(H5N1) virus in raw milk from infected cows, and the extent of the spread of this virus in dairy cows, similar additional human cases could be identified. Sporadic human infections with no ongoing spread will not change the CDC risk assessment for the U.S. general public, which CDC considers to be low.

CDC Recommendations

• People should avoid close, long, or unprotected exposures to sick or dead animals, including wild birds, poultry, other domesticated birds, and other wild or domesticated animals (including cows). [In other words, let your pets and livestock die rather than handfeeding them, etc.?]

• People should also avoid unprotected exposures to animal poop, bedding (litter), unpasteurized (“raw”) milk, or materials that have been touched by, or close to, birds or other animals with suspected or confirmed A(H5N1) virus. [PPE to change the chicken bedding?]

• CDC has interim recommendations for prevention, monitoring, and public health investigations of A(H5N1) virus infections in people. CDC also has updated recommendations for worker protection and use of personal protective equipment (PPE).

• Following these recommendations is central to reducing a person’s risk and containing the overall public health risk. [Which is near zero now.]

More information is available on the CDC website at https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/avian-flu-summary.htm.

[1] first human case of A(H5N1) bird flu in the United States linked to an outbreak in dairy cows was also the first likely case of human infection with A(H5N1) from a cow globally. [In other words, no other countries have agreed to perform the same charade as CDC is doing with cows.] This was reported on April 1, 2024. The person reported eye redness as their only symptom, consistent with conjunctivitis, and recovered. Learn more about this case in a letter published in the New England Journal of Medicine titled Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Virus Infection in a Dairy Farm Worker. The April 1 case was actually the second human case of A(H5N1) reported in the United States. The first human case of A(H5N1) bird flu in the United States was reported in 2022 in a person in Colorado who had direct exposure to poultry and who was involved in depopulating poultry with presumptive A(H5N1) bird flu. The 2022 human case was not related to dairy cattle. The person only reported fatigue without any other symptoms and recovered. Learn more at U.S. Case of Human Avian Influenza A(H5) Virus Reported.

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Public Health labs tell CDC: If you want us to find you cases, ya gotta let us do the tests. Stop pretending H5N1 is Ebola. CDC responds, okay, we will lift our Ebola-like restrictions, but just for one month. Then you have to start the charade all over again.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-relaxes-regulations-labs-handling-bird-flu-samples-ease-virus-response-2024-05-14/