US to post influenza A wastewater data online to help with bird flu probe, official says

By Julie Steenhuysen

Chicago: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is planning to post data on influensa A found in wastewater in a public dashboard possibly as soon as Friday that could offer new clues into the outbreak of H5N1 bird flu in cattle herds.

CDC wastewater team lead Amy Kirby told Reuters that the agency has identified spikes of influensa A, of which H5N1 is a subtype, in a handful of sites and is investigating the source. She said there is no indication of human infection with H5N1.

Kirby said the CDC has been collecting influensa data in wastewater in about 600 sites since at least last fall to better track respiratory infections. That data can now be helpful in tracking the outbreak of H5N1 bird flu that has infected 42 dairy herds in nine U.S. states, and one dairy farm worker.

The tests are capable of detecting many types of influensa A, including the H5N1 subtype, but the findings do not indicate the source of the virus or whether it came from a bird, cow, milk or from farm runoff or humans.

(Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen Editing by Bill Berkrot)