Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Bird Flu Is Spreading Undetected To People, CDC Testing Results Indicate
The Washington Post: Delayed CDC Report Shows Increased Evidence Of Bird Flu Spread To People
A scientific report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published Thursday shows some veterinarians who provide care for cattle were unknowingly infected with the H5N1 avian influenza virus last year. The report is the latest evidence that the outbreak in dairy herds is spreading undetected in cows, and the spillover into people at highest risk of exposure is going unnoticed. (Sun, 2/13)
CIDRAP: Ohio Announces Human H5N1 Avian Flu Case, State's First
A man from Mercer County, Ohio, is that state’s first human case of H5N1 avian flu, according to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH). The man is a farm worker who was in contact with deceased commercial poultry. ... Ohio is one of the epicenters of the US bird flu outbreak, with 54 outbreaks since the middle of January. The outbreaks have led to the loss of more than 10 million birds. (Soucheray, 2/13)
CBS News: Michigan Officials Detect Bird Flu In Monroe County
Michigan officials confirmed a positive case of the bird flu has been found in a backyard flock in Monroe County. CBS News Detroit reached out to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, which couldn't provide details about what happened to the remainder of the flock. However, farmers nationwide have eradicated entire flocks of birds to stop the spread, which is almost always fatal to domestic poultry. (Murphy, 2/14)
CBS News: How Dangerous Is Bird Flu? Doctors Say Humans And Pets Should Avoid Any Dead Birds
A new CDC report shows an outbreak of bird flu among U.S. dairy and poultry workers, renewing concerns among dogwalkers and hikers in Massachusetts about how safe it is to be outdoors. The H5N1 virus isn't new but the resurgence of the bird flu has many people rethinking their daily routines. (Chan, 2/13)
Politico: Key Bird Flu Lab Threatens To Strike As California Cases And Egg Prices Climb
Workers at a key lab for testing animal disease are threatening to go on strike, raising concerns about California’s ability to respond to the growing outbreak of bird flu that has sent the price of eggs soaring nationwide. Technicians at the California Animal Health and Food Safety Lab at the University of California, Davis, have been sounding the alarm for months, alleging staffing shortages and strains as their union has been in contentious negotiations with the University of California system. (Bluth, 2/13)
On flu and covid —
MedPage Today: Neurologic Complications Of Flu In Kids May Be Up This Year
Public health officials are looking into reports of a small potential uptick in neurologic complications of influenza in children -- particularly a rapidly progressing and dangerous condition called acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE). Adrienne Randolph, MD, MSc, of Boston Children's Hospital, said she reported about 12 potential cases of flu-associated ANE to CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD) in the past few weeks. (Fiore, 2/13)
CIDRAP: Five Years Later, Americans Say Pandemic Drove Them Apart
A new Pew Research Center poll shows 72% of Americans said the pandemic did more to divide the country than bring it together, with 75% saying COVID-19 took a toll on their own lives. The poll was conducted in late October 2024 with 9,593 respondents. The poll suggests that, 5 years after the pandemic was officially declared in March 2020, the nation has not yet healed from the societal effects of the novel coronavirus, with Americans citing the once-in-decades event as an accelerator of the political divide between the left and the right, the distrust of government institutions, and the rise of disinformation. (Soucheray, 2/13)
