Amid widespread gaps in US testing for H5N1, a type of bird flu , and as a second case among humans has been detected, scientists are turning to more creative ways of monitoring the outbreak – especially in human and animal feces. Scientists and officials are expanding wastewater monitoring across the US and engaging community members to collect waste samples from birds. They hope to keep tabs on this outbreak while preparing for the next pandemic.
CDC warns of more US bird flu cases after second human infected by cows Read more A new dashboard to monitor influenza A in wastewater across the country was launched by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last week. It doesn’t track H5N1 specifically, but the highly pathogenic avian influenza variant is part of the flu A family. The dashboard helps identify hotspots in the US where flu A is surging – and, since flu rates among people are low this time of year, such a surge can alert scientists and the public to potential outbreaks of H5N1.
“I’m really pleased to see that they’re sharing the data that they have,” said Marc Johnson, a professor at the University of Missouri School of Medicine and the lab lead for wastewater surveillance in Missouri. Another project turns to citizen scientists – high school students in New York City – to sample bird droppings for infectious diseases. Volunteers, swathed in personal protective gear, are trained in taking fecal samples from local parks, and then they .
