Doctor warns of serious bird flu and says CDC is ‘flying blind’, likening outbreak to ‘the early days of Covid’

A top doctor has warned that the USDA and CDC are “blind” to a possible nationwide outbreak of bird flu in the United States due to a lack of testing.

Dr. Rick Bright, a virologist and former director of the Department of Health and Human Services, said the concern is greater than meets the eye, as only three Americans have tested positive for the virus.

He warned that despite the low number of cases, it is possible that the virus could mutate, making it more capable of infecting people.

In an interview with PBShe said, “I’m more concerned now about the information and the data we’re missing.

“We’re being blindfolded in this battle right now, and I’m really concerned that the virus is winning the game and getting ahead of us.”

Scientists say the risk is high because of widespread infections in cattle, which have udders that contain receptors found in bird lungs as well as human lungs.

The CDC has tested only 45 people for bird flu so far, which the agency says only happens if there is concern that the person could be infected.

But because so many herds have been infected with the virus – 102 yesterday – it is feared that the virus may acquire new mutations.

Dr. Bright added during the interview: “When I talk about us not doing enough about it, we really don’t know how many people have been infected with this virus.

“And today, very limited to almost no serological testing has been conducted among the cases, the close contacts on the farm, or their family members.

The map above shows states where bird flu infections have been reported in cattle

“So it’s very difficult for us to know how many people have been exposed and whether there’s really human-to-human transmission or not.”

Genetic testing conducted by the CDC has shown more than 300 mutations of the virus in cattle, including some that may make the virus more contagious.

Three Americans have tested positive for bird flu this year — including one with respiratory symptoms and two with eye infections.

Experts fear that others may have been infected, but that cases may have been missed because patients did not report.

Many farms have not cooperated with officials – reports show – likely out of fear that livestock will be culled or because they use undocumented workers.

There have also been problems testing herds to determine which animals are infected.

Many infectious disease experts have raised concerns about the lack of testing, leaving them unsure whether cases among livestock are still rising or may now be peaking.

Dr. Leonard Mermel, an infectious disease expert at Brown University, warned in his local newspaper this week: “Our federal government does not have the authority to test for the H5N1 virus in farm animals, to require H5N1 testing of humans exposed to infected cows, or to prevent (the sale of) raw, unpasteurized milk… until the infection among cows is under control.

‘So the H5N1 virus is in our midst, where millions of viral particles reside in the udders of many cows in the US and infect their tissues that contain human flu receptors, raising the possibility of the virus jumping from cows to humans. ‘

Yesterday, a former CDC director warned that the US would at some point face another bird flu pandemic.

Dr. Robert Redfield, who led the agency from 2018 to 2021, said in an interview, “I really think it’s very likely that we will have an avian flu pandemic at some point.”

Previous data shows that 52 percent of people who suffered a bird flu infection died from the disease.

By comparison, in the early days of Covid this figure was closer to ten percent of patients.

‘As soon as the virus gains the ability to attach to the human receptor and then spread from person to person, then you get the pandemic.

“And, like I said, I think it’s only a matter of time.”

In the first two cases of bird flu in the US this year, patients had only eye symptoms.

But in the third case, the patient had respiratory symptoms, indicating the virus may have infected their lungs.

Officials reported there was no sign of further transmission of the virus, although they struggled to access the households with cases.