US Health officials to spend $100 Million on bird flu surveillance

US health officials are putting more than $100 million toward ramping up surveillance of bird flu in cattle and people amid rising concerns that the outbreak has spread more widely than reported.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration will use the funding to detect and track the virus, called H5N1, that’s been spreading in wild birds, poultry and domestic cows, according to a statement Friday.

Scrutiny of the CDC’s response to health crises has risen after widespread criticism for inadequate early testing for emerging health threats such as Covid and the mpox virus. 

While just one H5N1 infection has been recorded in a person in the US so far, scientists have cautioned that virus has the potential to mutate into something far more transmissible and dangerous. 

The CDC will use $34 million to test for and analyze viral sequences, while another $29 million will be dedicated to tracing and monitoring people who may have come into contact with the virus. 

Other funds will be used to study vaccine candidates and wastewater sites. 

The CDC is also distributing protective equipment to farm workers, prioritizing those with infected herds.

Observation of the virus has been spotty. Some dairy farms have hesitated to invite the CDC for surveillance, facing a potential financial impact if sick cows are found.

Migrant workers who staff farms are leery of government officials, fearing job loss if they show signs of exposure to the virus.

No states have invited the CDC to test, which has created blind spots in understanding the scope of the outbreak.