[Source – fortune.com]
Investigation Hindered by Testing Challenges
Health authorities in the U.S. are facing obstacles in determining whether a case of H5N1 bird flu in Missouri might have led to human-to-human transmission. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) analyzes blood samples from several healthcare workers and household contacts with infected individuals to detect potential antibodies. However, testing has been delayed due to the need for a new diagnostic method. According to Demetre Daskalakis, director of the CDC’s National Center on Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, genetic mutations in the virus make existing tests unreliable, prompting the CDC to develop a specialized test for accurate detection. The new process is expected to take until mid-October.
The challenge is compounded by the limited viral material available from the patient’s sample, making it difficult to grow complete viruses. As a result, CDC scientists are reverse-engineering the virus to create a new serology test. Despite the urgency, experts caution that biological processes, such as creating reliable testing methods, take time, fueling anxiety over the delay in obtaining critical answers.
Concerns About Human Transmission Intensify
There is uncertainty over how the Missouri patient contracted H5N1, as no clear source of infection has been identified. The individual, hospitalized in August for other health issues, tested positive for influenza while in care. Following the diagnosis, six healthcare workers involved in the patient’s treatment later reported respiratory symptoms. Only one of the six tested negative for influenza, while the others were not tested at the time of their illness. The CDC now aims to test these individuals for H5N1 antibodies, alongside a household contact, to rule out or confirm possible transmission.
Human case of bird flu in Missouri, mpox outbreak news and delays with the new COVID vaccine rollout
While H5N1 is not typically transmitted easily between humans, rare instances of person-to-person spread have occurred outside the U.S. If such transmission were to happen more easily, it could significantly elevate the risk of a pandemic. The lack of immediate answers has spurred growing concern among health officials and the public, as experts call for swift but careful testing to confirm whether the virus spread to others.
Vaccine and Testing Complications
The CDC’s delay also involves additional precautions against false results. Jesse Bloom, an evolutionary virologist, explained that a mutation found in the Missouri virus could reduce the accuracy of current serology tests, leading to potential false negatives. This mutation could also affect the effectiveness of vaccines developed for mass production, complicating the preparedness for a potential outbreak.
Moreover, the CDC is addressing the possibility that antibodies from seasonal flu strains, which most adults possess, might interfere with the H5N1 tests. To mitigate this, the agency will remove antibodies for H1N1, a common human and bird flu strain, before running tests on the Missouri samples. Experts, including Bloom and Michael Osterholm from the University of Minnesota, agree that while the delay is understandable, ensuring accurate results is paramount. The CDC continues to monitor bird flu activity in Missouri closely, but no unusual patterns have emerged thus far.
