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Experts Say We Should Be Watching the Evolution of Bird Flu
Rural communities are at the frontlines. At what point do we ring alarm bells about the potential for another pandemic?
by Claire CarlsonJune 19, 2024
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Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Keep It Rural, an email newsletter from the Daily Yonder. Like what you see? Join the mailing list for more rural news, thoughts, and analysis in your inbox each week.
In February of 2020, I was living in Missoula, Montana, when my roommate told me about a little thing called coronavirus. The word had been making headlines for a couple months at that point, but this was the first in-person conversation I had with someone who was ringing any alarm bells.
My roommate’s brother was a high-ranking officer in the military and part of the federal planning process for an impending Covid-19 pandemic. He’d warned my roommate that there would likely be supply shortages because of it, and just in case he was right, we preemptively stocked up on food and toilet paper for two weeks.
A few weeks after this conversation, the World Health Organization declared the virus a pandemic, and supply chain shortages soon followed.
My roommate worked in public health and, in my opinion, is a very smart and level-headed individual. She is also good at risk assessment, which is what made our conversation about Covid-19 so poignant. If she was concerned about this thing, I knew I should be too.
Roughly four years later, another pandemic could be looming: H5N1 bird flu.
Even though we’re just a handful of years out from the Covid-19 pandemic and the lessons learned (and issues it revealed), I’m worried the alarm bells won’t be sounded early enough if bird flu does become a risk to the general public.
In February 2022, the flu, which normally can be found in wild birds, began infecting chickens. As of this writing, almost 97 million chickens in 48 states have tested positive for bird flu.
In 2023, bird flu was found in marine mammals like elephant seals and sea lions. The flu has killed tens of thousands of marine mammals since then.
Then, in early 2024, bird flu hit another sector of livestock: cattle. Roughly 100 dairy herds in 12 states have been affected as of June 13, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Finally, in March 2024, the flu was detected in a dairy worker in Texas. Two more farmworkers have tested positive since then, both in Michigan.
The real number of humans who have contracted bird flu could be more than that.
Despite the number of outbreaks among livestock, most testing is still voluntary for farmworkers. This is because some dairy farmers are reluctant to have their workers tested. It’s also because, for many farmworkers, taking time away from work to get tested and stay at home if sick has little benefit, given that these jobs have been historically excluded from basic labor rights like paid sick leave and minimum wage.
Yet, surveilling farm workers who are at the frontlines of bird flu could be essential in preventing a widespread human outbreak. It could also help protect rural communities where many farm workers live, communities that would likely be the first places to suffer from such an outbreak.
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If bird flu evolves to be more transmissible human-to-human, the threat of a pandemic could be high.
One of the biggest global issues during the Covid-19 response was the way different government agencies handled testing and information-sharing. Many countries didn’t have enough resources or information to act swiftly, and there was no effective international support to help.
The distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine is a good example of this: the United States and other rich countries bought up all the supply, leaving poorer countries to fend for themselves. The virus evolved into different variants – Alpha, Beta, Delta, Omicron – in countries that did not have widespread access to the vaccine, which ultimately worsened the pandemic.
Public health experts say we can’t do this again with bird flu, but it’s up to our governments to listen to them.
Some reporters and experts have been reluctant to ring the bird flu alarm bells because it’s not yet a threat to the general public — why worry unnecessarily and cause a panic?
Personally, I think this vastly underestimates the public’s ability to absorb and respond to a threat. It also leaves us less prepared, which can make a disaster much worse.
In Missoula, during the month prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, I got a warning from someone I trusted and I was better prepared because of it.
This time around, the advantage we all have is that we’ve lived through a pandemic once before and have a better understanding of infectious disease. Certainly there’s pandemic fatigue – I gleefully got rid of all my cloth masks a few months ago and let my hand sanitizer supply diminish – but people are also generally more aware of the realities of sickness.
As controversial as some preventative measures might seem, doing things like wearing masks, washing your hands, staying home when sick (if you’re able), and keeping your distance from others are tactics that are more familiar now than they were prior to 2020. The general public has more literacy around sickness prevention, and we can use that to our benefit if bird flu does become a problem.
From the public health experts I’ve listened to and read from, right now seems to be a good time to be gently, lightly, ringing the alarm bells. Staying up-to-date on how the disease is evolving is the best way to remain tactfully informed – the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a good dashboard with the information they know. There’s nothing to be worried about yet. And still, it never hurts to have an extra pack of toilet paper.
We aren’t doing enough about the risk of bird flu but we can
F&G concludes investigation in Panhandle Region grizzly bear shooting
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Tuesday, June 18, 2024 – 7:38 PM MDT
Additional details are available surrounding the grizzly bear killed on June 10 in Unit 6
Idaho Fish and Game recently released information about a grizzly bear mistaken for a black bear and killed on June 10 in Unit 6.
After concluding its investigation, Fish and Game officials found the hunter involved was hunting over a legal black bear bait site, and due to extenuating circumstances, no citation was issued. The site was located on U.S. Forest Service land near the Lower St. Joe River, roughly five miles from the town of St. Maries. The bear was in an area not commonly used by grizzly bears in the Panhandle. The incident is an example of how young male grizzlies may wander long distances and into areas where people don’t expect to encounter them.
Two days prior to the incident, the hunter recorded video of the bear at the bait site and sent it to Fish and Game for review. The hunter expressed concern that the bear was a grizzly and not a black bear. Unfortunately, Fish and Game staff misidentified the young bear as a black bear because it lacked some common features of a grizzly, and shared that misidentification with the hunter.
After shooting the bear and then identifying it at the scene as a grizzly, the hunter immediately contacted Fish and Game and fully cooperated with the investigation.
Fish and Game regrets the mistake made by its staff, the undue stress the situation caused for the hunter and the loss of the grizzly bear. Fish and Game is reviewing its staff’s part in the incident as a personnel matter.
The incident underscores the importance of all hunters, including Fish and Game staff, being capable and confident in properly identifying species and their target prior to shooting. Size and color of the animal are not reliable indicators of species; black bears can be brown, and grizzly bears can be black. It’s best to look at multiple features to make the right call. Grizzly bears typically have short, rounded ears, a dished facial profile, a prominent shoulder hump and 2 to 4 inch long claws.
A few important reminders:
- Most of Idaho’s grizzly bear populations are in the northern Panhandle area and the area in and around Yellowstone National Park in Eastern Idaho. But young male grizzlies may wander long distances and into areas where people don’t expect to encounter them. These young male bears typically wander through an area, but do not remain there.
- Grizzly bears are protected under state and federal law, and bear hunters are responsible for proper identification of their target. All hunters are encouraged to review their bear identification skills to avoid mistaken identity.
- Now is as good of a time as any to freshen up on your bear identification skills and your ability to know the difference between a defensive and predatory encounter by using our online resources.
CONVICTED! Terrierman guilty after terrorising monitors on quad bike
Hunter shot grizzly after Idaho officials said it was a black bear
Elephants trample two men to death
By Hileni Amadhila and Lugeretzia Kooper
19 June 2024
Two men were trampled to death by elephants on Monday.
In the first incident, an elephant trampled a man (46) to death at Kambangula cattle post at Tsandi in the Omusati region.
According to the police, a bull elephant trampled professional hunter Gert van der Walt to death.
Van der Walt was allegedly trophy hunting the elephant, which has been declared a ‘problem animal’, with a client, guided by Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism officials.
He was a Swakopmund resident.
Van der Walt’s body was transported to Okahao police mortuary for a post-mortem.
Investigation into the matter continues.
Axel Cramer, the president of Namibia Professional Hunting Association (Napha), yesterday confirmed that Van der Walt was trampled by an elephant during a legally sanctioned problem animal control hunt.
He said the hunt was conducted with a permit issued by the ministry.
“The allegations that this was an illegal or secretive hunt is not truthful. Please refrain from spreading unfounded allegations. Napha is deeply disturbed by the insensitive reading on social media. “We acknowledge that much work remains to educate the Namibian population about the significant contributions of trophy hunting to our community. “We thank the game guards for their bravery. Let us approach this matter with compassion and respect,” he said.
Cramer urged the public to bear in mind the grieving family and the broader implications of the tragedy.
“A family is grieving, including children who have lost a loved one. As Napha, we are committed to promoting ethical and sustainable hunting practices.
“Trophy hunting plays a crucial role in conservation efforts and supports local communities,” he said.
SECOND INCIDENT
Salambala Conservancy manager Fabian Mavuna has cautioned villagers to be on high alert, following the death of another man (49) after he was attacked by an elephant in the Ngoma area on Monday.
The man was identified by inspector Kisco Sitali as Albert Kapule, who was walking back to his village when he was attacked by the elephant.
Speaking to The Namibian yesterday, Muvuna said there is a high influx of elephants and other wildlife from Botswana’s Chobe National Park in search of water due to drought.
“It’s the first human-wildlife conflict incident report for the year, which resulted in the tragic loss of life. Therefore, we would like to caution villagers to make sure they retreat to their homesteads while the sun is still out to avoid such incidents. The same goes for cattle herders, because the presence of lions is also high, so they need to return to their kraals early,” he said.
Mavuna said incidents of human-wildlife conflict in the Salambala Conservancy are not common, though isolated incidents occasionally take place.
Ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda yesterday said the ministry has since identified the troublesome elephant and it was put down.
Exposing the Big Game 