You may or might not have heard of the newest strain of bird flu (H5N1) that is currently spreading around the country and the continent. As an infectious disease response trainer I am quite concerned and have been for some time now. I’ve been following the news reports about it. There haven’t been many that the general public are likely to run into and that too has me concerned.
Why am I concerned? Haven’t there been other bird flu viruses in the past? Don’t we know how to deal with viruses now that we’ve eliminated SARS-Cov-2/COVID-19? Wouldn’t we hear more about it if it was a concern to those in the know?
I’m concerned because there have been bird flu viruses in the past and any flu has the potential to make the jump from species to species which is what has happened in the past. Including SARS-Cov-2/COVID-19. I’m concerned because it appears that there are many that are already prepared to forget what we learned during the COVID-19 Pandemic much of which were lessons we learned during the Spanish Influenza Pandemic in the early 1900s. I’m concerned because so many people believe that we have eliminated the SARS-Cov-2 virus. We haven’t. It’s still with us. It’s still mutating which is exactly what the Spanish Influenza virus did and was the underlying cause of all of the major influenza outbreaks during the rest of the 20th century. And I am concerned because we aren’t hearing more about it in the mainstream news. I’m concerned because of the government’s response and lack of headway with the virus in the time that we (infectious disease workers and trainers) have been hearing about it. I’m concerned because in the fall of 2019 we were hearing rumors of the possibility of a new virus starting to make the rounds and it was unclear as of yet if it would turn out to be a major concern. I’m concerned because a little over a month later at the National COSH‘s COSHCON2019 the rumors were persisting but new information was scarce. I’m concerned because in just over a month after COSHCON2019 the news was filled with accounts of the new virus, whether it was real, whether it posed a significant danger and whether Americans should care about it. And I’m concerned as it feels as though we may have missed our chance to hold this new virus to an endemic stage and that that possibility has flown the coop if you’ll excuse the expression.
The virus has already jumped the species barrier. It has gone from being just another bird flu to infecting mammals. Specifically cattle. Workers in multiple states, including Wisconsin, have been reported to have contracted the virus. This virus has already jumped another species barrier. Some workers have become ill and some workers have died from the virus. Some children have become sick and some have died. And that really concerns me as we don’t know how many nor exactly where or when.
And the reason for that lack of knowledge? There are multiple reasons. In the United States much of our agricultural work is done by immigrants. No, I’m not blaming immigrant workers. The problem is that for 30 years the United States has refused to address the deficiencies in our immigration system. For political reasons the system has been left broken and maligned and scapegoated for a multitude of problems this country is facing. And that blame is almost completely laid on the workers. They are demonized for “coming here illegally” and yet it is only a misdemeanor to cross the border without going through legal checkpoints or having the appropriate documents. It is however almost never mentioned that someone is employing these workers and when it is it is quickly ignored and not mentioned again. The workers are punished for seeking refuge form atrocities in their homelands which are often caused or exacerbated by American corporations and or the American military which is being used to keep leaders that are favorable to American corporations and governmental assistance. But the employers? I can’t even recall the last time it was reported on a corporation using undocumented workers and was punished for doing so. Some even assist in bringing workers here illegally. Therefore it should be of little surprise that both workers and employers are hesitant to speak with government agencies trying to understand what is happening, how prevalent it is, when it began, where the cattle involved came from, where the workers may have worked previously and more which is needed to know in order to begin to build a realistic picture of what is going on.
No one wants to return to lockdowns, food, goods and medicine shortages. It seems to many in the infectious disease, occupational health and safety and public safety arenas that that may be exactly where we’re headed if we don’t get out in front of this now. We are concerned that with a new administration set to take over in Washington DC in a few short weeks that there will be no willingness to do that. This new administration is largely responsible for the failures we experienced during the last pandemic and with their talk of eliminating agencies they think are wasteful or might not agree with their plans may be setting the stage for another devastating outcome. It is possible that the incoming POTUS has learned from his mistakes last time. He may have decided that it would be better to be honest with the American public even if it frightens some as long as it means that we as a whole are better able to handle the situation and move forward in a manner that leads the way in solving the problem before we lose another million or so citizens needlessly. But his rhetoric does not seem to give much confidence that that is the case. It seems all too likely that we will once again hear alternating reports of the virus being a hoax or that we are about to round the corner and it will go away all on it’s own in a few short weeks.
Keep in mind that workers have already died from the virus. Already the same mistakes of the early days of the SARS-Cov-2 virus are being repeated. Already those workers most likely to be exposed to the virus are fearful for their lives, their livelihoods and their families. Already employers are fighting local, state and federal investigators in their attempts to find out what is happening, where and why.
Enough already.