The United States is bracing for an increased risk of bird flu outbreaks this spring, as scientists warn that the virus may spread to new species and evolve into more deadly forms.
The federal government’s response to the ongoing bird flu outbreak has been scaled back due to budget cuts, leaving local health officials and veterinarians without the necessary support. The US Department of Health and Human Services recently terminated over 10,000 staff members, including experts from the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, which had been working to link bird flu cases to raw pet food.
The loss of federal funding may hinder the country’s ability to track and contain the virus among both humans and animals. Experts fear that the unchecked spread of bird flu could lead to a strain that is far more deadly to humans and easily transmissible among them.
The risk remains low, but 70 confirmed human cases in the US are already on the rise, with one death reported so far. As wild birds migrate north, scientists warn that new variants of the virus from South America may emerge, making it even harder to predict and contain.
With more than 140 staff members affected by the cuts, the FDA’s ability to develop diagnostic tests and conduct bird flu studies has been severely impacted. This has raised concerns among health experts, who emphasize the need for increased surveillance and testing measures.
“The risk is not zero,” said Dr. James Lawler, an infectious disease expert. “We should be doing a lot more in terms of aggressively seeking out this virus in animal and human populations.”
The US Agriculture Department reported that bird flu infections have been found in foxes, skunks, mice, bears, raccoons, seals, and dolphins in March, highlighting the need for a proactive response to the outbreak.
Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/bird-flu-heading-north-spring-fewer-federal-health-officials-working-s-rcna199607