The highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been detected in Oahu. This is the first time Hawaii’s Department of Health believes they’ve detected H5 bird flu at a wastewater site in Oahu.
A nationwide outbreak of H5N1 has been spreading among birds and mammals, but officials say there’s no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission of H5N1 in the United States still. Just a few days ago, Canada reported its first human case of bird flu.
Canada Reports Its First Case Of Human Bird Flu
The Canadian teenager is reportedly in critical condition. The British Columbia teen had no underlying health conditions and had been exposed to dogs, cats, and reptiles, officials say. “It just reminds us that in young people this is a virus that can progress and cause quite severe illness and the deterioration that I mentioned was quite rapid,” said the provincial health officer Bonnie Henry in a news conference on Tuesday according to The Guardian.
DOH says Hawaii has been the only state without H5N1 detected in birds or animals and there are no reports of human or animal H5N1 cases in Hawaii. The risk to humans is still “low” even though it does appear that it’s ramping up quickly.
DOH says they will partner with federal agriculture and wildlife agencies for further investigation, prevention, and public health surveillance efforts in Hawaii, according to a report by Hawaii News Now.
This news comes as the media in the United States reports that bird flu among human beings is much more prevalent and widespread than we are being told.
Bird Flu Infections Are More “Widespread” Among Humans
There has been no evidence that the disease is easily spread between people, yet. But if that were to happen, a pandemic could unfold, scientists have said.
Earlier in November, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) asked for farm workers exposed to animals with bird flu to be tested for the virus even if they do not have symptoms.
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