In Connecticut, state officials say they are monitoring the spread of H5 bird flu. That’s following nearly 50 confirmed human cases of the disease nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
H5N1 cases in humans have been minimal and so far confined mainly to California, Washington and Colorado. No human cases have been reported this year in Connecticut. But the disease has been detected in people connected with farms as far east as Michigan.
The CDC says the current public health risk is low. Connecticut officials are also urging calm.
“There really is nothing for people to be alarmed about at this point in time,” said Dr. Manisha Juthani, commissioner of the state Department of Public Health. “We do not have any cows in the state that are positive. Or even in the region.”
Infections of bird flu in dairy cattle earlier this year prompted concerns of a wider outbreak and possible crossover to other animals, including humans.
Last month, H5N1 was detected in a pig on a farm in Oregon for the first time ever in the United States. Pigs, which can serve as a host for multiple types of flu, can play a role in allowing a virus to better adapt to infections in humans, NPR reports.
Officials say poultry and dairy products are safe to consume. And there is currently no concern about the safety of the nation’s pork supply, according to the CDC.
But that doesn’t mean Connecticut officials aren’t taking the threat of a wider H5N1 outbreak seriously, said Bryan Hurlburt, head of the state Department of Agriculture.
Outbreaks of bird flu have spread to poultry farms across the country, impacting millions of birds, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. H5N1 was last detected in Connecticut in 2022.
Hurlburt said people need to be alert for symptoms in poultry, including a lack of appetite, lowered egg production, discoloration and swelling, and respiratory symptoms like coughing and sneezing.
“Also, if a large number of the birds that you have are dying suddenly, those are all potential symptoms and signs of an H5N1 outbreak in your flock,” he said. “The best thing to do is to call our state veterinarian.”
Officials will continue to monitor exposure risks and provide updates on the virus in the coming weeks and months, Juthani said.
“The risk is very low at this point in time,” she said. “The risk is most for those that have direct exposure to infected poultry or infected cows, none of which we have at this time in Connecticut.”
“But if you are aware of this and you’re aware of the idea that if there’s poultry that doesn’t look quite right and you want to stay away from them, that would be advisable,” Juthani said.
Connecticut Public's Tess Terrible contributed to this report.
