DENVER — No new human cases of bird flu have been detected in the state since last year’s unprecedented spillover of H5N1 into the country’s dairy cattle herds, but Denver health officials are once again reminding people to steer clear of sickly or dead fowl.
Officials from the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment (DDPHE) said in a news release Thursday that cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), more commonly known as bird flu, were circulating in wild birds in Denver and surrounding areas and advised Denverites to be mindful of contact with sickly or dead birds.
The release did not mention whether any potential exposures to humans were currently being investigated, and the state’s bird flu human tracker – which was last updated on Jan. 7 – did not show more than the state’s 10 confirmed cases, which have mostly occurred among dairy farm workers.
In response to questions from Denver7 about the timing of the news release, a spokesperson for DDPHE said the reason was twofold:
“One, there has been a lot of attention in the national media about bird flu and we wanted to make Denver residents aware that this is something we are seeing in the state as well as Denver and they should take precautions. Two, recently, two geese tested positive for H1N5 (sic), but these aren't the first cases of the virus in Denver. The recent cases are a good time to remind folks not to interact with wildlife as well as provide resources for folks when they find a dead or sick bird on public property.”
It's not the first time that the DDPHE has advised residents against handling birds that look sick or have died on public property.
In late January 2023, the DDPHE issued a similar advisory after officials with Denver Parks and Rec said they had received an increasing number of calls about dead birds in city parks impacting mostly waterfowl and geese.
Denver health officials said Thursday people, their children and their pets should avoid direct contact with bird droppings and dead birds and stay away from birds that may appear to be sick. Additionally, CPW urges people to contact their local office immediately if you happen to notice three or more dead birds in one area within a few weeks.
Denver7 has followed how bird flu has developed around Colorado since early 2023. Here are some of those stories:
- In February 2023, Colorado Parks and Wildlife reported bird flu was linked to the deaths of black bear, mountain lion in Colorado.
- On July 3, 2024, state officials announced that a Colorado dairy worker was diagnosed with bird flu. This marked the fourth case tied to an unprecedented outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza among dairy cattle in the U.S. Colorado health officials believe this was the first instance in which avian influenza was likely transmitted from a mammal to a human.
- Nearly a week later, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis declared a disaster emergency following an avian flu outbreak at a commercial egg facility in Weld County.
- In mid-July 2024, state health officials confirmed to Denver7 that three poultry workers at a commercial egg-laying facility in Weld County affected by an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza had tested presumptive positive for bird flu.
- On July 14, 2024, health officials confirmed an additional four poultry workers in Colorado had been diagnosed with bird flu.
- By late July, Colorado announced it would be the first state to mandate testing for H5N1 at dairy farms. Denver7 has a deep dive into what this means here. We also looked into the impact on egg prices here after more than 3.2 million egg-laying chickens had to be culled by the state.
- In August 2024, Denver7 reported the death of 6 domestic cats across the state who tested positive for bird flu
- Three Colorado poultry workers at a second egg facility tested positive for the bird flu, state officials said on July 25, 2024, bringing the total number of confirmed human cases in Colorado to 10 for the year.
While transmission of H5N1 from birds to people is rare, it does happen, but this usually requires close and prolonged contact with infected birds. The virus has also been spreading among poultry, cows, and other species, and people who work in close proximity to sick animals are at greater risk of becoming infected with bird flu.
Symptoms of bird flu in humans can range from no symptoms or mild illness (such as red eyes, fever, sore throat, cough, a runny nose, fatigue, etc.) to severe disease (pneumonia) and ultimately death, which has historically occurred in about 52% of people who've contracted H5N1, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Some infectious disease specialists, however, say that number may be an overestimate as recent studies have shown the virus has been silently spreading from infected animals to both dairy workers and veterinarians.
The most recent study, published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Thursday, showed that out of 150 vets from 46 states, 3 of them – or 2% – had evidence of antibodies to H5N1 infection.
In another study from the CDC last year, out of 115 diary workers, 8 of them – or 7% – had evidence in their blood of recent bird flu infection.
In that study, several of the infected workers remembered having bird flu symptoms, while none of the veterinarians in the most recent study recalled ever becoming symptomatic.
Combined, those studies provide evidence that the official U.S. tally of human bird flu cases – 68 since last year – is likely a significant undercount.
Most bird flu virus infections can be treated with current flu antiviral drugs (such as Tamiflu) if treatment is started early after symptoms begin, according to the CDC.
In Denver, people who encounter sickly or dead birds should call 311 or report such encounters by using Sunny the Chatbot on Denvergov.org.
If you notice a dead bird on your own private property, be sure to wear gloves, a high-quality mask such as a KN95 or N95 respirator, and safety goggles. Double bag the bird and throw it away in your municipal trash bin before thoroughly washing your hands.
The CDC continues to maintain that the risk of catching bird flu for the general public is low.
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