LEONARDTOWN, Md. — During the Commissioners of St. Mary’s County meeting on Nov. 19, 2024, St. Mary’s County Health Officer Dr. Meena Brewster briefed the Board on behalf of the St. Mary’s County Board of Health about the state of the H5N1 influenza virus in the United States.
The H5N1 virus, commonly referred to as “bird flu,” is a type of influenza that has been spreading across wild bird and poultry populations over the past several years, causing significant population losses. This is particularly true for poultry populations, which have suffered a loss of 105,197,601 individual birds nationwide, according to the St. Mary’s Board of Health. Concern has been increasing since the transfer of the virus from bird populations to dairy cows, with 473 dairy herds nationwide affected as of Nov. 8, 2024. However, until earlier this month, there had only been 45 cases in humans, all of which were mild and non-threatening.
That has now changed, with the case of a teenager contracting the illness in Canada attracting significant attention. Despite having no underlying medical conditions, the teenager’s condition devolved into full-blown acute respiratory distress syndrome, according to NPR, and to date, the teenager remains reliant on a ventilator.
There is still no evidence that the virus can be spread from person to person. However, medical professionals are concerned about the possibility that the virus could evolve into a strain more contagious to humans. One way this could happen is through “reassortment,” which occurs when two viruses genetically mix while infecting the same organism. For example, if someone were to contract both the seasonal flu and H5N1 at the same time, there would be the potential for the virus to develop into a new form that is more contagious to humans, NPR reported.
According to Dr. Brewster and the St. Mary’s County Board of Health, “[there are] no current cases in St. Mary’s County that we’re aware of. We have had wild birds affected… [but] no cattle that we’re aware of, no humans.” In case of any developments within the county, the Board of Health has been “working with [their] partners in the agricultural community to make sure they have resources and appropriate PPE.”
The entire state of Maryland and the majority of the country have still not seen any human cases of the virus to date. However, the situation merits close monitoring, and the St. Mary’s County Board of Health is taking appropriate precautions.
To learn more about the H5N1 outbreak, click here.
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