Live bird markets in New York City and surrounding counties have been shut down with the discovery of the H5N1 bird flu virus.
RT’s Three Key Takeaways
The discovery of the H5N1 bird flu virus has led to the closure of live bird markets in New York City and surrounding areas, raising concerns about its spread.
Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH) is actively monitoring the situation by using advanced sequencing to detect and track the virus in patients with unexplained influenza symptoms.
While bird flu is widespread among wild birds and livestock, human infections remain rare, though at least one fatal case has been reported in the US.
In addition to the concern at the spread of the seasonal flu, there is growing concern about an avian flu spreading amongst wildlife in the New York City area, and around the world.
Reminiscent of the initial COVID outbreak, fear escalated this week, when live bird markets in New York City and surrounding counties were shut down with the discovery of the H5N1 bird flu virus.
Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH) is taking proactive steps to monitor and mitigate the potential risk to public health. Researchers at HMH’s Center for Discovery and Innovation (CDI) have developed the capacity to rapidly sequence and test for the virus, including emerging mutations. This advanced testing is being deployed within HMH hospitals, when patients present with influenza symptoms and testing finds it is not one of the common seasonal flu strains. This sequencing allows for greater understanding and tracking of the avian flu and its ongoing mutations.
CDI was previously instrumental during the COVID-19 pandemic, developing its own test for COVID with results within two hours enabling our hospitals to better triage and help severely ill patients, when most of the country was sending tests to Washington, D.C. and waiting days for confirmation of the virus.
Bird flu is widespread in wild birds around the world, and has caused outbreaks in poultry and dairy cows in the United States. There have been some instances of farmers with direct contact with infected animals becoming infected, and at least one person has died from bird flu in the US.
Photo: ID 28727053 © Wenbin Yu | Dreamstime.com
