A farmworker was infected with bird flu from a dairy cow, the third human case in the recent outbreak.
Rich Pedroncelli/AP
Updated 3:10 p.m. ET
Michigan’s health department announced Thursday a human case of bird flu in a dairy worker. It’s the third human case reported to date in the current U.S. avian flu outbreak among dairy cows.
Unlike the previous two cases which only involved eye infection, this patient has respiratory symptoms, according to a statement from Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive with the Michigan health department. The patient had direct exposure to an infected cow and wasn’t wearing any personal protective equipment.
“This tells us that direct exposure to infected livestock poses a risk to humans,” said Bagdasarian.
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement that its labs tested a sample from the Michigan patient and confirmed it was H5N1 bird flu. The patient had flu-like symptoms, including a cough and eye discomfort. The patient was treated with antivirals and is isolating at home. No other workers or household contacts of the patient have gotten sick so far.
The CDC said that risk to the general public remains low. Like the other two recent cases, this infection came from direct exposure to an infected animal. “There is no indication of person-to-person spread of A(H5N1) viruses at this time,” according to the CDC.
The CDC is monitoring data from influenza surveillance systems, and said “there has been no sign of unusual influenza activity in people.”
Nonetheless, scientists following the outbreak say this human case is troubling development.
“Our concerns about this outbreak are coming true,” says Dr. Rick Bright, a virologist and the former head of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). “The longer the U.S. allows this outbreak to continue, without appropriate measures to stop it, without conducting testing in cows and people, more people will be at increased risk for exposure and infection.”
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Bright says it’s a problem that there’s not better sharing of bird flu data in the U.S., and there’s not more testing and precautions to prevent spread. He warns this will lead to more humans infected by animals. And that could eventually lead the virus to adapt itself to spread among humans. “This virus will find a way to transfer more efficiently among humans. This is what happens with a virus like this,” he told NPR.
Both the CDC and Michigan health officials emphasized the importance of protecting farm workers from possible exposure.
Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development director Tim Boring said his department is offering support to dairy farms in need of protective gear. “Proper use of personal protective equipment is the best tool we have to protect farm workers.”
The Kangei Maru is seen docked at Port Shimonoseki in Yamaguchi Prefecture on March 29, 2024. Tosei Kisanuki/The Yomiuri Shimbun/APHong Kong/TokyoCNN —
Wearing a toy whale hat, whale tie and a whale motif shirt, Hideki Tokoro spends much of his days thinking about the world’s largest mammals. But he doesn’t want to protect them. He wants to hunt them.
To do that his company Kyodo Senpaku has built and launched a brand-new whaling $48 million “mothership” – the Kangei Maru.
“We are proud of catching whales and are very proud of this ship which will allow us to begin offshore mothership-style whaling this year,” Tokoro told reporters as he escorted them around the 370-foot, 9,300-ton vessel that set sail last Saturday for an eight-month tour of the country’s northern waters.
Kyodo Senpaku’s president Hideko Tokoro, wearing a toy whale hat, speaks to the media on board the Kangei Maru vessel in Tokyo harbor on 23 May, 2024. Hanako Montgomery/CNN
The new ship replaces the Nisshin Maru, the infamous whaling factory vessel dubbed by activists as a “floating slaughterhouse” that was decommissioned in 2020 after more than 30 years of service, during which it frequently clashed with anti-whaling activists.
The Kangei Maru is bigger and faster than its predecessor, the company says, and is equipped with state-of-the-art drones able to travel a reported 100 kilometers (62 miles) to allow crews of smaller boats to quickly locate and kill whales.
But activists say the ship’s high-powered features, including a cruising range of 13,000 kilometers (more than 8,000 miles) and its ability to sail for up to 60 days, suggests that Japan is setting its sights on whales far beyond its northern waters.
“Japan has never given up on its whaling ambitions,” veteran anti-whaling activist Paul Watson told CNN. “The only purpose of a vessel like that is so it can travel long distances to the Southern Ocean to hunt whales, (and) what the whalers are doing right now is really just a test run. They are testing out the new ship in their waters.”
A life-size banner depicting what looks like an adult fin whale hung over a chopping area the size of at least two basketball courts. Hanako Montgomery/CNN
The ship will have enough storage to freeze up to 2,000 tons of whale meat. Daisuke Urakami/The Yomiuri Shimbun/AP
‘We need to cull whales’
The Kangei Maru boasts a slipway large enough to haul 85-foot whales from the sea that leads to an indoor flensing deck the size of two basketball courts.
There, workers will strip away the blubber before cutting up the whale flesh on enormous cutting boards, before vacuum-packing and storing the meat in 40 industrial freezers, ready for sale.
“Whales are at the top of the food chain. They compete with humans by eating marine creatures that should be feeding other fish,” Tokoro said on the tour.
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“We need to cull whales to keep the balance of the ecosystem – it’s our job and mission to protect oceans for the future.” He also told CNN that most of the ship’s catch would be killed “almost instantly” by cannons at sea. “We aim for perfection, but some of them may suffer. In such cases, we will use a rifle to finish the job.”
The slipway of the Kangei Maru, where whales will be hauled on board for processing. Hanako Montgomery/CNN
Besides objecting to the slaughter one of the ocean’s most majestic creatures, marine conservation groups and scientists have highlighted the important role which whales play in helping to tackle the climate crisis through sequestering and storing planet-heating carbon emissions.
“Whales are not just consumers in ocean eco-systems – they recycle a ton of nutrients into the environment which helps stimulate plant-life growth,” said marine ecologist Ari Friedlaender, also rejecting pro-whaling arguments that commercial hunts could be “sustainable.”
“Humans have a very long history of killing whales and have not done a good job of being able to sustainably harvest animals,” he said. “There is no way to sustainably harvest a wild animal like that.”
Why is Japan so determined to keep whaling?
Commercial whaling was banned in 1986 under a moratorium by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) after whale populations were almost driven to extinction by humans.
Japan is one of three countries – along with Norway and Iceland – that continues to hunt whales, and officials argue that the industry is an important part of its culture and history – and also provides food security.
Iceland, which has fiercely defended commercial whaling, said it would end whaling in 2024, citing falling demand for whale meat as well as “high operation costs and little proof of any economic advantage.”
Commercial whaling continues in Norway, which experts say has quietly become the world’s leading whaling nation – killing more whales than Japan and Iceland combined.
Dead minke whales on the deck of Japan’s Nisshin Maru factory whaler ship in 2015. Sutton Hibbert/Shutterstock
For decades, Japan has justified whaling under the guise of “scientific research.”
In 2018, it tried one last time to persuade the IWC to allow it to resume commercial whaling – and failed. So, it withdrew from the body and resumed commercial whaling months later, in defiance of international criticism.
“Japan is no longer party to the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling and can argue that it is no longer bound by provisions and constraints,” Donald Rothwell, an international law professor at the Australian National University (ANU), told CNN.
“Within its waters, it has the absolute authority to control the management of living resources – and that includes whales.”
Under Japanese law, three species of whale are permitted to be hunted in its territorial waters and exclusive economic zones – endangered sei whales and threatened minke whales and Bryde’s whales, with endangered fin whales set to be added to kill lists.
“Whales are important food resources and should be sustainably utilized based on scientific evidence,” said government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi this month, as he announced a proposal to hunt fin whales, the second-largest species of whales after blue whales.
A fin whale in the Gulf of Maine, North Atlantic Ocean. Francois Gohier/VW Pics/Universal Images Group/Getty Images
The World Cetacean Alliance (WCA) marine conservation group said that whale watching in Japan was “a far more successful industry” than harvesting whale meat.
“Commercial whaling in the 21st century is unjustifiable,” it said. “The whaling industry in Japan recognizes that it is a challenge to increase whale meat consumption and there is currently no market,” WCA said.
“So why keep slaughtering these wonderful and intelligent animals?”
Tokoro ruled out whale watching. “We will not switch to whale watching but eating whale meat while watching whales might be quite a nice touch,” he told CNN.
Demand for whale meat in Japan
Over the years, Kyodo Senpaku has launched aggressive public relation campaigns to promote whale meat and win over new generations of young diners.
Tokoro says he eats whale meat every day.
“Whale meat is not only delicious, it’s good for you,” Tokoro told reporters during the tour of his ship, as he talked up the purported “health benefits” of eating whale, claiming that the meat could cure hair loss and cancer.
“I can definitely say whale meat and rice is a really good (combination) for Japanese people. There is no doubt about that, much better than beef and bun.”
Last year Tokoro, again wearing his whale hat, launched controversial whale meat vending machines, offering whale sashimi, whale steak and whale bacon.
The company has also sponsored influencers from countries such as Russia, Thailand and South Korea – hosting them at a local izakaya in Osaka, where they sampled dishes like whale sashimi and skewers and encouraging them to take the message back to their followers that whale meat was delicious and acceptable.
Japan may have a long and storied history of whaling dating back to the Edo period in the 1600s, but experts say whale meat consumption only really peaked after World War II – when food sources, especially protein, were scarce.
Today, whale meat is now considered more of a “luxury” dish, said Nobuhiro Kishigami, a professor at the National Museum of Ethnology, one of the country’s largest research institutes.
“The fact is that there is little interest in whaling and whale meat among Japanese people as a whole,” Kishigami told CNN. “Most young people, especially the majority that live in cities, do not know or care much about whaling and its history and remain indifferent.”
The same goes for dolphin meat, he added. “It’s just a sign of the times. But if we were asked to stop eating blue fin tuna, there would be a huge uproar. We would react very badly to that.”
The owner of a whale meat shop shows a block of whale meat at the Karato fish market in Shimonoseki city. Yuichi Yamazaki/AFP/Getty Images
This picture taken on May 20, 2024 shows whale meat sashimi at a ‘Nisshinmaru’ whale meat restaurant in Shimonoseki city, Yamaguchi prefecture. Yuichi Yamazaki/AFP/Getty Images
Japan’s fisheries ministry estimates that between 1,000 and 2,000 tons of whale meat are consumed annually in the country, compared to average annual totals of more than 230,000 tons during the 1960s.
“There is still certainly a market (for whale meat in Japan) but market size and production volume have shrunk dramatically,” economics professor Mitsuhiro Kishimoto from the Shimonoseki City University told CNN, noting that several major whaling companies had since withdrawn from the trade.
“The demand for whale blubber disappeared after the discovery of oil and petroleum products, so many countries stopped whaling and with international regulations, the number of caught whales decreased and as a result, whale meat production decreased while beef, pork and chicken became more popular,” he said.
Scientists have also expressed concern about the risks of consuming whale meat, with studies pointing to high levels of mercury found in whale and dolphin meat, which could prove dangerous to consumers – especially pregnant women and young children.
A pod of Humpback whales pictured at the Gerlache Strait in Antarctica on January 19, 2024. Juan Barreto/AFP/Getty Images
Could Japanese whalers return to the Southern Ocean?
Located in deep waters surrounding the entire continent of Antarctica, the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary hosts dozens of whale species including humpbacks, blue whales and fin whales.
It was established by the IWC in 1994 to protect whale species after centuries of hunting, but until 2019 Japan took regular trips to the region to hunt for self-stated “scientific research” purposes.
Japanese whalers killed 333 minke whales in the Southern Ocean in 2018/2019, according to the IWC, before abandoning the region after it left the international body.
Takaaki Sakamoto, director of the Whaling Affairs Office in Japan’s Fisheries Agency, told CNN that Japan sent ships to the Antarctic last year to collect numbers and skin surface samples, but those expeditions did not involve killing whales. He said they planned to return this year to do the same.
Tokoro told CNN that the Kangei Maru is not planning on killing whales beyond Japanese waters because it doesn’t make economic sense.
“Commercial whaling is not profitable,” he said. “It will take 50 days to get to the Antarctic and back and we are not confident we can make a profit by paying the wages of employees and fuel for 50 days. However, I will go only when the government orders me to go … Until then, I will not go commercial whaling at all.”
The Bandero, a former Japanese fisheries vessel that anti-whaling activists will use to take on Japanese whalers, if they return to the Antarctic. Captain Paul Watson Foundation
But activists aren’t convinced.
“Given the ship’s long-range capabilities and drones, and recent announcements from Japan’s fisheries ministry that it is keen to start hunting fin whales, we believe there is a high likelihood that Japanese whalers will return to the Southern Ocean,” said James Anderson, activist and founder of the Whale Defense Agency (WDA).
“The Southern Ocean is a critical habitat for many whale species that provides a safe haven for breeding and feeding … protecting it is more important than ever due to the increasing threats posed by climate change and illegal whaling.”
Rothwell, from ANU, said that if Japan looks to kill whales beyond its territorial waters, it can expect an international response.
“It would immediately trigger global interest and action about the conservation and protection of whales, especially in waters sanctioned by the IWC as a whale sanctuary,” Rothwell said.
Watson, the veteran anti-whaling activist, told CNN he’s prepared to mount a physical response – with a former Japanese fisheries patrol vessel he’s acquired in anticipation of Japanese whalers returning to the Antarctic by the end of the year.
“It’s called the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary for a reason – you don’t kill whales there,” Watson said.
“We want to be able to track them down and intercept them like we’ve done before – and we are more than prepared to do it again.”
Bird flu outbreaks have continued across the U.S. as officials work to keep the spread at bay.
The virus has been detected in alpacas for the first time.
The CDC has documented two cases of human bird flu infections in 2024.
Bird flu outbreaks have continued across the U.S. as officials work to keep the spread at bay.
While the outbreak likely began amongst chicken flocks and spread to dairy cows, reports of the virus infecting other animals have come out of several states. Two cases of the virus appearing in people have been reported despite ongoing testing, said the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and their symptoms were relieved by simple over-the-counter flu medication.
Commercial farming facilities have taken to destroying infected flocks in an attempt to quell the ongoing spread. Even so, a new large-scale infection was reported in Iowa this week, impacting millions of egg-laying chickens.
The egg-laying flock, located in Sioux County, will be culled to prevent further spread. Since 2022, about 22.9 million birds from backyard flocks and commercial facilities have been destroyed to keep the virus at bay in Iowa, the nation’s top egg producer, according to USDA data.
Bird flu infection found in alpacas for first time
Besides the unusual spread to dairy cows in recent months, bird flu has been detected in other animals, including barn cats that were found dead at infected facilities. And now it’s been found in alpacas.
The US Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories said Tuesday that a group of alpacas tested positive on May 16 on a farm in Idaho where poultry had previously tested positive and been destroyed.
Bird flu, or avian flu, is a contagious infection that spreads among wild birds and can infect domestic poultry and other animal species. The virus does not often spread to humans but sporadic infections have been reported. There are several strains all belonging to influenza A-type viruses.
The most common subtypes that may affect humans are A (H5N1), A (H7N9) and A (H9N2), according to the Cleveland Clinic. In humans, symptoms can resemble a typical flu but may advance into more serious respiratory symptoms.
In birds, avian flu is highly contagious and cases can range in severity from mild to highly deadly. Infected birds shed the viruses in their saliva, nasal secretions and feces, meaning other birds can contract the virus through contact with those fluids directly or via contact with a contaminated surface.
The virus has been found in sick dairy cattle in at least 67 herds in nine states, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. That includes four herds in South Dakota but none in Iowa.
Avian influenza that is very transmissible and lethal for domestic birds has been detected in a flock of 4.2 million egg-laying chickens in Sioux County, according to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.
It is the first confirmation of highly pathogenic avian influenza in a commercial or backyard poultry flock this year in Iowa. IDALS reported it Tuesday.
Entire flocks are culled — and their carcasses isolated — to prevent the spread of the virus to other flocks.
The virus outbreak has been ongoing since early 2022 and is primarily driven by migrating birds, which can be contagious without showing symptoms.
In the past month, Minnesota is the only neighboring state of Iowa that has had infected flocks, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Five of those confirmations happened about two weeks ago. They included four commercial turkey operations and one commercial egg-layer flock that totaled about 1.5 million birds.
Minnesota has had more than three times the number of infected flocks compared with Iowa since the start of the outbreak, but Iowa has had about three times the total number of affected birds because of its large egg-laying operations. It is the top egg-producing state.
A total of more than 23 million birds in 52 flocks have been culled in Iowa since early 2022 because of the infections. The Sioux County flock is the state’s third-largest affected in that time. Two others in Buena Vista and Osceola counties had more than 5 million birds apiece.
IDALS recommends that poultry and dairy operations take additional precautions to limit the potential for new infections.
The virus has been found in sick dairy cattle in at least 67 herds in nine states, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. That includes four herds in South Dakota but none in Iowa.
The first cattle infections happened in Texas and were confirmed in March. Cows typically recover from infection in 10 to 14 days, but the virus is often fatal for poultry.
Federal officials have said eggs and milk in the commercial food supply are safe to consume. They have warned against drinking unpasteurized cow milk.
Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich
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