By Ryan Hanrahan
Bloomberg’s Jessica Nix reported that “the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ended its emergency response for bird flu as the outbreak that sickened dozens of people, spread to cattle and drove up egg prices has abated. The emergency designation ended in the last week, according to a person familiar with the matter who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly about it.”
“The CDC merged its bird flu updates with those routinely reported for seasonal influenza starting on Monday, and will post the number of people monitored and tested for the virus also known as H5N1 on a monthly basis, the agency said,” Nix reported. “It will no longer include infection rates found among animals on its website.”
“States that were among the hardest hit have also dialed back their efforts. California ended its emergency declaration in April, a spokesperson for the Department of Public Health told Bloomberg,” Nix reported. “Washington, which had 11 human cases in 2024, is also downsizing its response, state epidemiologist Scott Lindquist said.”
“The CDC’s emergency bird flu response was deactivated to transition back to regular program activity, according to a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services,” Nix reported. “Surveillance, readiness and response for bird flu will be included with existing efforts from the CDC’s Influenza Division and other agency programs, they said.”
Source : illinois.edu