Bird flu's comeback raises fears about readiness
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Migratory birds are driving up avian flu cases across the country, reviving concerns about U.S. readiness to respond to outbreaks, especially during the government shutdown.
Why it matters: The most immediate concern is how the spread of the disease in commercial poultry flocks could drive up food prices.
- But the virus is continuing to evolve and spill over to other species, fueling fears of human-to-human transmissions and a possible pandemic.
Zoom in: While the number of birds impacted in Arkansas remains low (just one backyard flock of 60 has been diagnosed so far this fall), the state is the third largest poultry producer in the U.S. and companies like Tyson Foods, George's Inc. and Simmons Foods operate in several states.
Zoom out: Influenza was found in 27 commercial and backyard flocks across eight states in the last month, affecting an estimated 2.5 million birds, according to the USDA.
- Infections have also been identified in dairy cows, cats and other mammals in a half-dozen states in recent months.
Between the lines: Public health officials say the federal response is hampered by staff cuts at both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Agriculture, immigration enforcement on farms and the government shutdown, which has suspended activities including a weekly call among animal health laboratories.
What they're saying: "We are fully prepared in a way that I'm not sure USDA has ever been before," U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins told Axios Northwest Arkansas in September.
- She noted that earlier this year the department invested $500 million in biosecurity measures designed to curb spread of the disease and another $100 million in vaccine research.
The CDC flu team is largely intact and can quickly sequence samples from humans suspected to be bird flu, said Demetre Daskalakis, who was director of the agency's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases before he resigned over Trump administration policies this summer.
The other side: "At USDA, the cupboard is pretty bare when it comes to human resources," said Keith Poulsen, director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.
- He added that funding in the Republican budget law is held up as long as a farm bill isn't passed.
The bottom line: While the bird flu is not considered a threat to most Americans yet, it's difficult to respond to outbreaks amid shrinking resources and information blackouts.