Why more testing is crucial for bird flu

The highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu virus has infected nearly 140 dairy farms in 12 U.S. states, resulting in four reported human cases this year, the U.S. State Department said. CDC. The FDA recently announced efforts to increase testing of more dairy products in an effort to curb the spread of the virus across dairy farms, according to reports from Reuters. The testing would sample 155 dairy products to ensure pasteurization inactivates the virus.

Moreover, the state of Michigan will also begin serological testing of farm workers for signs of previous infection with the virus.

Strengthening testing strategies is critical from a public health perspective for several reasons. By increasing testing, public health officials can detect and contain outbreaks early. Bird flu has killed millions of birds worldwide and is also responsible for infecting millions of other animals. Early detection can prompt appropriate interventions, such as imposing quarantine zones and restricting the movement of birds and dairy products to prevent the spread of the infection to new areas. These interventions are only possible through extensive and thorough testing of the bird flu virus.

Furthermore, testing will ultimately help prevent transmission of the virus between different populations, including humans. While the current public health risk remains low, the virus could eventually mutate and cause sustained human-to-human spread, which could then lead to a pandemic. Testing can identify and monitor different strains of bird flu. By understanding the genetic makeup of potentially deadly strains, health care providers can implement appropriate strategies to protect high-risk individuals and develop vaccines that would be critical in reducing transmission of the virus.

Robust testing ensures clearer and more transparent messaging to the general public. Testing ensures that the evolution of the virus can be adequately monitored and that the characteristics of new and problematic strains that could potentially spread among humans are studied. This information is critical in developing policy decisions that will help combat the spread of the virus. Additionally, the more information collected during testing, the clearer the message can be from health officials to educate the public on best practice policies to combat the spread of the virus. Without adequate testing, health authorities and media personnel would have little information to provide to the general public regarding prevention strategies.

Finally, testing can prevent significant economic losses, considering that the poultry and dairy industries represent a significant part of the global economy. Outbreaks of bird flu can lead to significant economic losses if culling of infected flocks takes place and trade restrictions are introduced. This is precisely why some farmers hesitate to get tested for bird flu for fear of losing income. However, testing can actually reduce economic losses in the long term through early intervention, which can subsequently shorten the duration of outbreaks. A smaller outbreak size also means a stable supply of poultry and dairy products, which would prevent price increases due to potential shortages.

Testing for bird flu remains critical to both controlling and mitigating risks to humans. Although the FDA and the State of Michigan have made positive progress in increasing testing, many more tests will be needed to fully understand the genetics, transmission and evolution of the avian flu virus. Testing is the cornerstone of public health initiatives to curb disease and could make the difference between whether or not a future pandemic occurs.