ADPH making efforts to manage avian influenza; no cases reported yet in Alabama

State Health Officer Dr. Scott Harris at an Alabama Department of Public Health meeting on Jan. 18, 2024 in Montgomery. Harris said Thursday that issues with hospitals across the country treating RSV, particularly in the Southeast, have to do with pediatric beds. (Alander Rocha/Alabama Reflector)

Alabama’s state health officer said Thursday the state was continuing efforts to manage H5N1 avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu.

During the Alabama Department of Public Health’s board meeting on Thursday, Dr. Scott Harris said that the department is working with the Department of Agriculture and Industries to address the situation.

“It’s really something we really have spent a lot of time working on and thinking about. The public doesn’t seem interested very much in hearing a lot about it, but there’s a lot of great work going on behind the scenes,” Harris said.

Bird flu infections in people are rare, but possible.

Most reported bird flu infections in people have happened after unprotected contact with infected birds or contaminated surfaces. There has not been any case of person-to-person transmission.

There have been four confirmed human cases of avian influenza H5N1 in three states — none in Alabama — according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dairy cattle herds in 12 states have been infected, with 48 states with outbreaks in poultry.

To mitigate the spread, ADPH is providing personal protective equipment (PPE) to those who need it, following the CDC’s recommendations. However, uptake has been minimal so far, Harris said.

Dr. Harris said that there is no cause for alarm.

“There are a lot of theoretical concerns that are very serious, but there’s certainly no reason to be alarmed,” he said, he added that the risk to the milk supply remains small, since pasteurization eliminates the virus. The CDC recommends avoiding raw milk.

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