As the H5N1 bird influenza virus continues throughout the dairy herds of California and commercial poultry bars, a Central Valley state official raises concern about the lack of wastewater control in the region.
D-SANGAR was frustrated with what she says is gaps in tracing the spread of influenza in the center of the valley, where many of the most vulnerable people live in the state-dairy and poultry workers-and work.
“If you are tracking the disease that spreads from animals to humans, you want to look at rural areas, such as the province of Tulari, where there are more cows more than people – however there is no test of wastewater anywhere south of Fresno in the valley,” Hortado said.
As of December 30, 37 people in California have tested positive for H5N1; Everyone except one was the dairy factor. In addition, more than two-thirds of the dairy herds in the state-697-as well 93 commercial or back poultry herds, It represents approximately 22 million birds.
On December 18, the state governor, Gavin News, declared a state of emergency after the virus jumped from the state herds of the state to the dairy cattle in southern California, despite the restrictions imposed on the quarantine to stop the spread.
The virus, which also moves in migratory birds and wildlife, was detected at sewage sites throughout the state, including in Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Jose.
However, samples are sporadic in the central valley, where the majority of human cases and risks have been reported. In fact, taking the wastewater samples of bird flu is not present in some of the most vulnerable provinces, including TULERE and Kings.
Why the current test is not good enough
Sampling in wastewater helps public health officials track the spread of the virus. Tactics officials have been working during the Covid-19s in order to monitor the spread of the Corona virus. In California, officials used sewage to predict infection waves and the spread of the virus among the population.
In California, health officials say they are watching 78 locations in 36 provinces of a group of viruses; In all sites except for two sites they say they are looking for bird flu.
In an email to the Times, state officials said that the state Cal-Suweers was watching six sites in the center of the valley, including Kern, Merced, Stanislaus and San Joaquin provinces.
According to the centers of control and prevention of diseasesThe latest sample of Kern Province was presented on December 7, and it was positive for the virus.
It is a great blind point in the state’s monitoring system, as state officials admit, however they noticed that they do not have little control.
“It provides sewage control in a site … requires interest participation, which is voluntary,” said Ali Bay, a government agency spokeswoman. “Competitive priorities and resource restrictions can reduce [utility’s] The ability to participate. “
The province of Tulari and the boycott of the Kings are led by the state with the most humanitarian issues, according to the numbers issued by each province.
Laura Flores, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Public Health in the province of Tulari, said independent wastewater treatment stations in the province chose not to participate in the state’s monitoring program. Tulare has 18 reported cases, most of which are from any boycott and about half the total state.
Evardo Legasby, deputy director of the Public Health Department in Kings County, told the newspaper of times that had four confirmed cases. He added that the province was unable to participate in the state of sewage control in the state since October due to the lack of employment, but the province is working to start collecting wastewater and expanding it to other locations in the province.
For several months, Experts felt anxious The public health authorities were in reply to the prosperous epidemic, and that public safety had occupied a rear seat for agricultural interests. Only last month, the US Department of Agriculture began a virus testing program in the country’s raw dairy supply – almost a year later that experts believed that the virus was poured into livestock, after more than 900 dairy herds and 60 people injured.
“I think people are constantly underestimating this fascism and this virus,” said Rick Bright, a virus and former head of the American Research and Development Authority. “Our government officials do not make the comprehensive investigation that they must do.”
Even after the US Department of Agriculture announced the new wholesale milk test program, only 13 states are included in the initial operation; Many, including California, Colorado and Michigan, were already experienced their milk.
and The Trump administration has threatened to remove the United States from the World Health OrganizationAnd it is a step that will increase the blind of the United States and the rest of the world for virus movements. Although the Biden administration announced on Thursday that it is committing an additional amount of $ 306 million to ward off a possible outbreak of bird flu – the money that will be distributed before leaving his position later this month.
“I don’t think the right questions are asking to understand this bird flu,” said Hortado. “In a large part of this because there is just a lack of guidance from the federalists.”
What we can learn from monitoring bird flu if we do so correctly
It is certain that finding bird flu in wastewater does not mean that there is a human spread of the virus.
Unlike Covid-19, MPOX or seasonal influenza can be-which when found in wastewater-positive samples of bird flu can be from sources, including pasteurized milk. This is because the method used for a sample of bird flu in wastewater is looking for signs of the virus, not the whole virus.
This means that the tests can be transmitted fragments that are not active of the virus, such as those in the malls of mulch
“I don’t think we really know what it means,” said Richard Webby, director of the influenza and bird studies center. “How many milk is poured down in the drainage in an urban area? We know that we can get a high percentage … loads of supermarket milk. I have no idea what the supermarkets do with the ended milk.”
It is also possible that it comes from raw milk or raw meat. Or even waste products from wild birds and mammals, where the virus is currently traded.
Since the start of the disease, California officials have found the virus In wild birds such as a rock bathroom, white IBis, and turkey eaglesBesides Wild mammals including mountain blacks, corconies and signs.
In addition, people can record broken viruses in their stools, said Alexandra Boham, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford University, a main investigator and director of a program for Tytewaterscan.
Battle to improve the system
Regardless of what samples show, they provide evidence that the virus is circulating somewhere in the environment.
Bright said that the fact that the officials of health and water facilities in certain areas of the state are not searching for their intention is another example of the government’s failure to contain the disease and follow its spread.
“The virus is developing quickly … without full participation in the monitoring and testing programs, along with full transparency and in time, we will always be behind the virus,” said Bright. “Our ability to obtain it will be impeded without cooperation and full cooperation at the federal, state, local and societal levels.”
For Hortado, the situation is also personal.
She said that her father and her niece, who lived in the middle of the valley, showed the symptoms of influenza earlier this year, but there was no test to confirm her doubts.
For the record:
4:09 pm Jan 26, 2025Senator Melissa Hortado said that her father and her niece showed symptoms of influenza last year, not earlier this year.
Her father contracted in a virus that almost killed him and includes severe muscle and body pain, which is one of the symptoms of bird flu. The daughter of her 7 -year -old sister, who lives in Sanger, is a town with a large poultry supply plant. She recently had a rare self -immunity response to the virus, and she had swollen red eyes, and symptoms of H5N1 virus. Its doctors do not know what sparked the reaction.
She said that although symptoms were shown, none of them was tested due to bird flu – but they are suspected. Dairy farmers, workers and family members also told the Times that they believe that the numbers reported are likely to be unlimited, because some workers may not report their illness for fear of losing work.
She said: “I do not have the knowledge or information that must be supported, but my heart tells me both my father and my brother’s daughter who got bird flu.” “Both are affected by severe disease due to some unknown viruses.”
The personal experience prompted it to push the state to obtain answers to track the spread of the virus. The state’s Ministry of Health asked the lack of testing of the central valley, but it said it had not obtained a clear response.
It also prompted Hortado to increase the test in dangerous societies. Despite some tests for individuals at risk, including dairy workers and poultry, the state does not provide a comprehensive way to test agricultural societies severely.
Hortado, whose area includes a large group of the central valley, said it intends to propose legislation that would expand the wastewater monitoring program in the state to include sites in the disadvantaged societies and higher danger in rural areas. Legislation will also develop high -priority positioning standards based on health risks, population density and social and economic factors.
Hortado worries about societies such as Sanger, her birthplace. There is a poultry processing factory, one of the largest employers in the city and the province, and has been strongly exposed to bird flu.
Since the end of October, dozens of commercial poultry operations in Fresno Province I was exposed to the virusWhich led to the execution of more than 1.5 million birds.
I heard stories about workers lost hours of work as animals were exposed to the disease, and poultry farms were fully exposed to residents. The price of eggs also increased as a result of the outbreak.
“I think we can do a lot early,” she said. “But we are here, and we have to be able to improve where we failed.”