One Health: Invasive Species, Fellow Travelers, Zoonoses 2

Study suggests earlier US-licensed H5N1 vaccines prompt antibodies to current strain
Lisa Schnirring | July 17, 2024

Though federal health officials are moving ahead with a plan to produce 4.8 million doses of H5N1 avian influenza vaccine that targets the clade (strain) circulating globally and infecting US dairy herds and some farm workers, older H5N1 vaccines in the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) might be useful in a pinch...

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influenza-bird-flu/study-suggests-earlier-us-li...
-------------------------------------

Surender Khurana et al. 2024. Licensed H5N1 vaccines generate cross-neutralizing antibodies against highly pathogenic H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b influenza virus (Brief Communication). Nature Medicine, 16 July 2024. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-024-03189-y

Amazing how far domestic cats have expanded their global range -- and how many species and populations they've helped drive to extinction...

Meet the 27 native animals cats have helped send extinct since colonisation
Invasiv Species Council | 30 May, 2022

Australia has a cat problem. After being introduced in 1788, feral cats now number between 2.1 – 6.3 million depending on rainfall conditions, and there are another 3.8 million pet cats in our neighbourhoods.

Together, they kill over 2 billion animals every single year. Most of those are native. And no matter how much we adore them, we can’t escape the fact that our pet cats that are allowed to roam are responsible for over 500 million of those deaths.

The combined impacts of feral and roaming cats have already helped push 27 native animals into extinction, including a long-forgotten mainland parrot...

Photos of extinct Australian critters (https://x.com/ISCAustralia/status/1813387303081152555/photo/1)

https://invasives.org.au/blog/meet-the-27-native-animals-cats-have-helped-send-e...

...USDA has reported 5 new #H5N1 #birdflu infected dairy herds today, 4 in Colorado & 1 in Minnesota. Some of these were reported or at least hinted at by the states previously. They bring the cumulative national total to 168.

https://aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-dete...

Bar graph USDA-confirmed livestock herd (cattle + 1 alpaca herd) H5N1 by state (https://x.com/HelenBranswell/status/1815379241267073299/photo/1)

- Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 @HelenBranswell | 9:31 AM · Jul 22, 2024 {X}

New study confirms mammal-to-mammal avian flu spread
Krishna Ramanujan, Cornell University | July 25, 2024

...While the virus does have the ability to infect and replicate in people, the efficiency of those infections is low...

https://phys.org/news/2024-07-mammal-avian-flu.html
---------------------------------------

Leonardo C. Caserta et al, 2024. Spillover of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus to dairy cattle. Nature, 25 July 2024. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07849-4

Geez, Type A flu, which H5N1 is, has been detected in several states'wastewater. After reading about NY dairy plant's discharge into tributary of St Lawrence River, I'm especially glad no H5N1 detected (yet) in NY dairy farms. Still, alarming that the state hasn't yet got this plant's discharge under control.

Dairy plant: we’re not convinced we’re polluting river
Thomas Cafarella | Aug. 2, 2024

... the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) citing the plant for violating water quality standards, stating “the permitted discharged is the primary contributor to the growth in the river.”

The pollution in question is a white, filmy substance that’s been floating on the Deer River, and which has been blamed for a nasty smell in the area of the river near North Lawrence...

https://www.wwnytv.com/2024/08/02/dairy-plant-were-not-convinced-were-polluting-...

Swine flu variant A(H3N2)v reported in CO and in MI. The CO patient, but not the MI patient, had exposure to pigs.

https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2024/08/michigan-hhs-reports-1-novel-h3n2v-flu.ht...

Marion Koopmans, publications: https://pure.eur.nl @MarionKoopmans | 1:45 PM · Aug 12, 2024 {X}:
Head of Viroscience Department , WHO collaborating centre EID
{The Netherlands}

really interesting preprint: tropism of H5N1 viruses for mammary gland tissue confirmed in experimental infections, both the the virus circulating in Europe (where no infections in cattle had been observed) and in the US. Fascinating.

Questions:
1) how sure is Europe it is NOT present in cattle (sofar studies done found no evidence) and
2) what happened in the US that got it introduced? Bringing back the hypothesis of feeding cattle with offall from poultry farms . Other suggestions welcome
-----------------------------------------

Nico Joel Halwe et al. 2024. Outcome of H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b virus infection in calves and lactating cows. BioRxiv 9 August 2024. doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.08.09.607272
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.09.607272v1

This article is a preprint and has not been certified by peer review

No Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) yet detected in NY dairy cattle. NY tightens import restrictions from HPAI-affected states.

FluAlert @FluAlert_ 3:54 PM · Aug 13, 2024 {X}:
🆕🇺🇸 New York now requires non-lactating dairy cattle from HPAI-affected states to test negative before entry.

https://agriculture.ny.gov/news/state-department-agriculture-updates-temporary-i...

Image (https://x.com/FluAlert_/status/1823447992390565895/photo/1)

Updated joint FAO/WHO/WOAH assessment of recent influenza A(H5N1) virus events in animals and people
14 August 2024 | Emergency Situational Updates

https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/updated-joint-fao-who-woah-assessment-of...

Martin A. Nuñez @Martin_A_Nunez | 8:00 AM · Sep 4, 2023 {X}:
Ecologist that studies 🍄🌲🐜🐑🐀🦌🌱🌾🌳🦠⛰, mostly invasives. @uhouston @ Comahue @conicet. Senior Editor @JAppliedEcology. @IPBES.

Invasive Species have HUGE impacts #ipbes10*

✨60% of recorded extinctions are due at least in part to invasive species
✨Known costs are annually in the U$D billions, but likely in the trillions
✨Costs are increasing 4X per decade
✨Invasions have deep impact on quality of life

Infographic (https://x.com/Martin_A_Nunez/status/1698667230114816453/photo/1)
----------------------------------------

* IPBES {Science & Policy for People & Nature} (2023). Summary for Policymakers of the Thematic Assessment Report on Invasive Alien Species and their Control of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Roy, H. E., Pauchard, A., Stoett, P., Renard Truong, T., Bacher, S., Galil, B. S., Hulme, P. E., Ikeda, T., Sankaran, K. V., McGeoch, M. A., Meyerson, L. A., Nuñez, M. A., Ordonez, A., Rahlao, S. J., Schwindt, E., Seebens, H., Sheppard, A. W., and Vandvik, V. (eds.). IPBES secretariat, Bonn, Germany. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7430692 https://zenodo.org/records/8314303

5 burning questions about Missouri’s mysterious H5 bird flu case
Helen Branswell | Sept. 8, 2024

Could raw milk — or a cat — help explain how a person who had no contact with animals caught the virus?

News that a person in Missouri contracted H5 bird flu despite having no known contact with infected animals or birds — in other words, no evident route of infection — raises pressing questions public health officials are surely scurrying to answer.

The rationale for that urgency is this: An unexplained H5 infection raises the possibility of person-to-person spread of a flu virus that has never before circulated in humans, and to which people would not have immunity. And this with a dangerous flu virus that scientists have long feared could someday trigger a pandemic...

What is being done to investigate the situation?
Is this the same H5 virus that is spreading in cows?
How sick was this individual? Was he or she hospitalized for influenza symptoms, or for other reasons?
Did this person truly have no contact with infected animals or birds? Does this individual have a cat that is allowed outdoors?
Did this person consume raw milk?

https://www.statnews.com/2024/09/08/missouri-h5-bird-flu-case-questions-cat-raw-...

>11 margd: contd.

No clear exposure source in Missouri H5 avian flu {human} case
Lisa Schnirring | September 12, 2024

... At the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) briefing, Nirav Shah, MD, JD, principal deputy director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said state health officials are continuing the investigation, diving deeper into potential exposures.

... it wouldn't be unusual to not find a likely exposure source. For example, he said that, of about 500 human swine flu cases identified since 2010, about 8% had no clear exposure to the virus.

The probe hasn't turned up any evidence of human-to-human spread or any unusual rises in flu activity in Missouri, he added. “Evidence points to a one-off case,” Shah said.

...Though sequencing is still under way, results so far suggest that the virus is closely related to the one circulating in dairy cows, Shah said. "We're throwing everything we've got at this."

The patient had significant underlying medical conditions and was evaluated in the hospital for acute chest pain and gastrointestinal symptoms, he said. A respiratory panel was done during hospitalization, and as part of influenza surveillance the results were batched with other patient samples and sent to Missouri's state lab for subtyping...

Missouri investigators have found no link to consumption of raw milk or other raw dairy products, Shah said...

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influenza-bird-flu/no-clear-exposure-source-mis...

Missouri investigates more possible human-to-human H5N1 avian flu spread (News brief)
Stephanie Soucheray | September 27, 2024

Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said investigators in Missouri were looking into eight possible human infections of H5N1 avian flu virus after the state reported its first case last month. If confirmed, the cases would mark the first instance of human-to-human H5N1 transmission in the country...

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influenza-bird-flu/missouri-investigates-more-p...

Vietnam: Govt. Confirmation Of `Dozens' Of Tiger Deaths (H5N1 Suspected)
Credit VOV.gov.vn

Yesterday we saw numerous Vietnamese media reports of dozens of tigers dying from suspected HPAI H5N1 at two Zoos in Vietnam. While I was unable to find any government confirmation, Vietnamese media is tightly regulated, making these reports highly credible.

Overnight Vietnam's government run Voice of Vietnam website carried the following (translated) report which confirms the earlier media reports.

Dozens of tigers in Dong Nai died from suspected eating infected chicken

VOV.VN - Dong Nai Province Forest Protection Department has just informed about the death of 17 tigers at Vuon Xoai Tourist Area suspected of being infected with A/H5N1 flu.

Mr. Ngo Van Vinh - Head of the Dong Nai Provincial Forest Protection Department said: On the morning of October 2, the Region VI Veterinary Department went to the Mango Garden Tourist Area, Dong Nai Province to inspect and collect samples of the dead tiger to report to the Ministry of Health.

Previously, 17 tigers and 1 leopard at the Mango Garden Tourist Area died, so the relevant unit took samples and sent them to a company with testing functions for testing. The results detected A/H5N1 flu.

Initially, authorities suspected that the tigers and leopards in the tourist area were infected because they were fed chicken. Recently, imported chickens from abroad could also be the source of the disease.

It is known that the 17 dead tigers were Bengal tigers, a rare animal group.
Currently, the Mango Garden Tourist Area is coordinating with the authorities to verify and clarify the cause of the incident.

Thus far, I can find no reporting on the Vietnamese MOH website, and I'm having difficulty connecting to their Ministry of Agriculture website (MDARD), which continually times out. As yet, no report appears to have been filed with WOAH.

We've looked at the susceptibility of felines to avian flu - and to H5N1 in particular - many times (see HPAI H5: Catch As Cats Can). While only rarely reported, we've even seen the transmission of avian (H7N2) influenza from cats to humans (see EID Journal: Avian H7N2 Virus in Human Exposed to Sick Cats).

Since last March, we've seen a steep increase in the number of HPAI infected cats in the United States (see USDA Adds 16 Additional Cats To Mammals with HPAI H5N1 List (n=53)). Due to the risks of exposure, last April the CDC released Guidance for Veterinarians: Evaluating & Handling Cats Potentially Exposed to HPAI H5N1.

The loss of these majestic cats in Vietnam is another reminder that HPAI H5N1 is becoming increasingly entrenched in our environment - and while human infections remain thankfully rare - every spillover into a mammalian host is another opportunity for the virus to evolve and adapt.

We ignore these warning signs at considerable risk to our food supply, our economy, and potentially to our public health.

https://afludiary.blogspot.com/2024/10/vietnam-govt-confirmation-of-dozens-of.ht...
https://flutrackers.com/forum/forum/asia/h5n1-h5n8-h1n08-tracking/vietnam-aa/997...

"California has been the nation's leading dairy state since 1993, when it surpassed Wisconsin in milk production. California is ranked first in the U.S. in the production of milk, butter, ice cream and nonfat dry milk. California is second in cheese and yogurt production." https://www.californiadairypressroom.com/

As bird flu outbreaks rise, piles of dead cattle become shocking Central Valley tableau
Susanne Rust | Oct. 20, 2024

On a recent 98-degree afternoon, dead cows and calves were piled up along the roadside. Thick swarms of black flies hummed and knocked against the windows of an idling car, while crows and vultures waited nearby — eyeballing the taut and bloated carcasses roasting in the October heat.

Since the H5N1 bird flu virus was first reported in California in early August, 124 dairy herds and 13 people — all dairy workers — have been infected.

And according to dairy experts, the spread of the virus has yet to abate...

https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2024-10-20/as-bird-flu-outbreaks-rise-...

The only way this could get worse is if voters brought Trump back to oversee response to what might be the next pandemic... :(

Inside the Bungled Bird Flu Response, Where Profits Collide With Public Health
Katherine Eban | October 21, 2024

When dairy cows in Texas began falling ill with H5N1, alarmed veterinarians expected a fierce response to contain an outbreak with pandemic-sparking potential. Then politics—and, critics say, a key agency’s mandate to protect dairy-industry revenues—intervened.

...The USDA’s inaction, critics say, is attributable to its dual—and sometimes conflicting—mandates. It is responsible for the health and safety of the nation’s food animals, but it’s also in charge of promoting and protecting America’s $174.2 billion agriculture trade. And sick cows, with documented cases of a virus never before seen in cattle herds, could be very bad for business.

... Perhaps the biggest wild card has been the USDA’s other mandate, to serve as the government’s chief dairy lobbyist. The agency’s secretary, Thomas Vilsack, 73, previously served as president and CEO of the US Dairy Export Council.

... It is unclear whether the {H5N1} virus, as it continues to spread and evolve, will ultimately pose a serious threat to human health. But if it does, there could be a battle no less intense than the one still being fought over who should be held responsible for COVID-19. Looking back at the events of 2019, one thing almost everyone agrees on is that China should have been much more transparent about what it knew and when it knew it.

As one White House health official tells Vanity Fair, “Not only have we not learned, we have regressed.”

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/inside-the-bungled-bird-flu-response
Author's tweeted summary https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1848350208201032098.html
---------------------------------

Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America’s Food Industry
by Austin Frerick

Is it time to freak out about bird flu?
The answer is not as straightforward as one might like
Helen Branswell | Oct. 16, 2024

... Science currently has no way of knowing all the changes H5N1 would need to undergo to trigger a pandemic, or whether it is capable of making that leap... The truth is, when it comes to this virus, we’re in scientific limbo.

... As best {public health authorities} can tell, the risk now is low. But things could change, and if they do, the time it takes to transition from low risk to high risk may be dizzyingly brief.

... Glen Nowak spent 14 years in communications at the CDC; he was director of media relations for the agency from 2006 to 2012, a period that included the H1N1 pandemic. Nowak, who is now a professor of health and risk communications at the University of Georgia, says communications about anything flu-related should start by leaning into the unknowable nature of flu.

... So how should one talk about the risk H5N1 in cows poses? Nowak, who is on a National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine committee reviewing the CDC’s Covid-19 vaccine safety research and communications, said it depends on who you’re communicating to, and what you expect them to do with the information ... right now the answer is probably policymakers facing decisions about how to prepare for the possibility of wider spread, farmworkers who need to be protected against the virus, and local public health officials on the lookout for human cases. It’s probably not people in general ...

https://www.statnews.com/2024/10/16/bird-flu-pandemic-overall-risk-low-continued...

The strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Flu infecting BC teen (in critical condition) is not the US dairy-cow strain, which so far has caused mostly mild disease in humans so far (conjunctivitis). Looks like the HPAI strain infecting the BC teen "potentially has mutations that increase binding to human receptors".... :( AFAIK, the BC teen had no exposure to infected animals(?)

Danielle Beckman @DaniBeckman | 10:36 AM · Nov 16, 2024:
I like taking photos of weird things happening in the brain 🔬
Neuroscientist studying the brain microbiome. #NeuroCovid is real.
http://daniellebeckman.com

The preliminary sequence from the #H5N1 {highly pathogenic avian flu} human case in British Columbia has been posted, and it is not good news. The virus potentially has mutations that increase binding to human receptors. Analysis by a viral immunologist:

Quote
Hensley Lab @SCOTTeHENSLEY · 3h
The preliminary sequence from the H5N1 human case in British Columbia has been posted and it is not good news. I just posted a thread of my thoughts on this on the blue sky site.
https://x.com/DaniBeckman/status/1857855159185060096/photo/1
https://x.com/DaniBeckman/status/1857855159185060096/photo/2
https://x.com/DaniBeckman/status/1857855159185060096/photo/3

14% of Texas dairy farmworkers tested had elevated levels of neutralizing antibodies against a recombinant H5N1 virus of clade 2.3.4.4b
Oct 20, 2024 | The avian influenza A (H5N1)
https://discovermednews.com/texas-dairy-farmworkers-exposed-to-hpaiv-h5n1/

People (and barn cats drinking raw milk) are asking for trouble, sounds like ... Pasteurization appears to kill the virus, but I'm preferring milk I buy in the US to be ultrapasteurized these days! Ferret kits and elephant seal pups all killed by milk from their H5N1-infected mamas. Breastfed human babies may likewise be at risk if mothers infected, as human mammary tissue expresses receptor required for H5N1 binding. Mouse pups may be safe, however, from infection via milk from their infected mothers(?)

Pari H Baker et al. 2024. Bovine H5N1 influenza virus infection is transmitted by milk causing mortality in suckling {ferret} neonates. BioRxiv, 16 Nov 2024. doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.11.15.623885 https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.11.15.623885v1

Preprint. Not yet peer-reviewed.

Abstract
...Here, we show that mammary gland infection with bovine H5N1 influenza in lactating ferrets transmits virus and disease to suckling kits. Viral RNA titers significantly increased in milk over time and remained high in mammary gland tissue. Suckling kits had significantly increased viral RNA in the oral and nasal cavity, as well as in feces. However, viral detection in the dam nasal cavities was delayed, with only minimal virus present in the oral cavity. Lung viral RNA levels were low in dams but high in a sampled suckling kit. Additionally, we detected the expression of the H5N1 receptor, α2,3 sialic acid, in mammary tissue from both ferrets and humans. These data demonstrate that H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b infection in lactating dams leads to mastitis-related disease and transmits to suckling pups, resulting in 100% mortality among the neonates.

... Discussion
... A recent report on intramammary infections of bovine H5N1 in lactating mice found no mortality in either dams or
pups13. Interestingly, none of the pups tested positive for the virus throughout the study. This suggests that bovine and ferret mammary tissue is more susceptible to bovine H5N1 infection than those of mice ...

Currently, there are no documented cases of H5N1 infection in lactating women. However, we observed the expression of SAα2,3, the receptor required for H5N1 binding, in human mammary tissue. A limitation of this finding is that our analysis was restricted to non-lactating tissue. Given the expression of the HPAI H5N1 receptor in bovine... and ferret mammary glands, as discussed in our manuscript, it is plausible that lactating human mammary tissue may also be susceptible to H5N1 infection...

In conclusion, our study demonstrates the high susceptibility of lactating ferrets and their offspring t HPAI H5N1 infection following intramammary inoculation and milk transmission to suckling newborns. The observed drop in milk production, elevated milk viral titers, and weight loss in ferret dams closely parallel the effects seen in lactating dairy cows after H5N1 inoculation... The high neonatal mortality in our study also mirrors the near-total mortality observed in suckling pups during a recent H5N1 outbreak among elephant seals..., emphasizing the need to understand maternal-neonatal H5N1 infection dynamics across species. These findings underscore the risks of mammary gland infection and milk transmission of H5N1, offering a valuable model for studying viral transmission dynamics and evaluating emerging vaccines and therapeutics against HPAI H5N1.

California accounts for one-fifth of the United States’ milk production!

Helen Branswell STAT ‪@helenbranswell.bsky.social‬ | November 18, 2024 at 6:09 AM
#USDA confirmed 41 more #H5N1 #birdflu infected dairy herds in California today, bringing the state's total to 335. That's 30% of the state's dairy herds.
The cumulative national total is now 549 herds in 15 states.
https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-...
https://bsky.app/profile/helenbranswell.bsky.social

Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 @HelenBranswell | 9:53 AM · Nov 22, 2024
I cover infectious diseases @statnews (reporting from the frontiers of health & medicine). 2020 Polk winner. Nieman '11.

BREAKING:
@CDCgov reports it has confirmed that a child in California tested positive for #H5N1. The child had no known exposures to infected animals or poultry. The child had mild illness and is recovering.
I discuss in this video what cases like this mean, and why they are a bit unsettling.

STAT's @HelenBranswell sets the table for where we stand with #H5N1 #birdflu in North America.
1:51 (https://x.com/HelenBranswell/status/1860018772179931357)

Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 @HelenBranswell | 10:06 PM · Nov 24, 2024:
California reports finding #H5 #birdflu virus in raw milk bought in a store.
How risky H5-containing raw milk is to humans isn't clear. Here's hoping we're not about to find out. https://statnews.com/2024/11/24/bird-flu-h5n1-raw-milk-llc-california-virus-test...

Quote
Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 @HelenBranswell · 16h
@CAPublicHealth reports finding #H5N1 #birdflu virus in raw milk. The producer, Raw Farm LLC of Fresno County, has agreed to recall a batch of a whole milk product called "cream top."
Milk from infected cows contains staggering levels of virus. https://statnews.com/2024/04/29/bird-flu-raw-milk-h5n1-risk-us-cattle/

Infectious Disease Tracker @HmpxvT | 1:30 PM · Dec 13, 2024:

⚠️ BREAKING:
CDC's wastewater surveillance program shows H5N1 bird flu positive wastewater in 11 states.
Map (https://x.com/HmpxvT/status/1867638200002654451/photo/1)

USDA Reported H5N1 Bird Flu Detections in Wild Birds
CDC | Accessed 25 December 2025

The latest H5N1 bird flu detections in wild birds by state and county are provided on this webpage. This webpage will be updated daily after 4 p.m. to reflect any new data.

https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/situation-summary/data-map-wild-birds.html
-------------------------------------------------

Counties affected by H5N1 bird flu in wild birds, according to the CDC.
https://x.com/HmpxvT/status/1872385088429937060/photo/1

Bird flu mutations in BC and Louisiana patients make human transmission easier.

CDC says H5N1 bird flu sample shows mutations that may help the virus bind to cells in the upper airways of people
The mutations likely developed post-infection, the agency said
Helen Branswell | Dec. 26, 2024

Genetic sequences of H5N1 bird flu viruses collected from a person in Louisiana who became severely ill show signs of development of several mutations thought to affect the virus’ ability to attach to cells in the upper airways of humans, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Thursday.

One of the mutations was also seen in a virus sample taken from a teenager in British Columbia who was in critical condition in a Vancouver hospital for weeks after contracting H5N1...

The mutation seen in both viruses is believed to help H5N1 adapt to be able to bind to cell receptors found in the upper respiratory tracts of people. Bird flu viruses normally attach to a type of cell receptor that is rare in human upper airways, which is believed to be one of the reasons why H5N1 doesn’t easily infect people and does not spread from person-to-person when it does...

https://www.statnews.com/2024/12/26/cdc-says-h5n1-bird-flu-sample-shows-mutation...

Bird flu mutations raise fears of a broader outbreak
Experts warn of inadequate testing by the CDC, which maintains the risk to humans “remains low.”
Alice Miranda Ollstein | 12/27/2024

... Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator during the first Trump administration ... "(CDC) monitoring more than 10,000 exposures, but they’ve only tested 530"... her greatest fear is someone getting infected with bird flu during the regular seasonal flu, potentially triggering mutations that make the former far more infectious to humans...

Scott Gottlieb, another health policy veteran from Trump’s first administration, echoed Birx’s warning of inadequate testing in posts on X this week, writing that if H5N1 ultimately develops into a pandemic, “The U.S. will have only itself to blame.”

“Agricultural officials did just about everything wrong over last year, hoping the virus would burn out, and it didn’t,” said Gottlieb, who formerly headed the FDA....

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/12/27/bird-flu-mutations-outbreak-00196069

Infectious Disease Tracker @HmpxvT | 1:05 PM · Dec 28, 2024

H5N1 bird flu in wild mammals, according to the CDC {USDA?}
US Map (https://x.com/HmpxvT/status/1873067793614336302/photo/1)