On Tuesday, North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) assembled a panel of experts from both the state and federal levels, including experts from the USDA and FDA, to discuss the emergence of H5N1 or “bird flu” and the responses that are being prepared at the state and federal levels.  

The panel was moderated by Joe Reardon, senior director of Food Safety Programs for the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA). It included other experts, including Commissioner Steve Troxler and Dr. Michael Martin, state veterinarian of NCDA&CS. 

There have not been any additional cases of bird flu reported in North Carolina since one herd tested positive in April. Later that month, North Carolina was declared free of “bird flu” by the World Organization for Animal Health. 

However, experts are preparing for a possible resurgence of cases as summer fades into fall and birds begin their migration patterns. Dr. Michael Martin told the Carolina Journal that the virus tends to die out over the summer. 

“North Carolina has been very quiet, but people are still concerned, and we don’t have wild bird testing very prominently right now,” said Dr. Martin. 

According to Dr. Martin, the risk for cases of bird flu tends to be low in the summer, but as the fall migration patterns begin, the risk for exposure does increase. 

“We’re going to see how this season fares for us historically; throughout this outbreak, the spring migration seems to get us for whatever reason,” Dr. Martin told the Carolina Journal. “So, it’s always that March and April that always gets us to kind of titch up, sure, but we’re still going to be worried about it coming through the fall, and we’re just watching see how it goes. Hopefully, it’ll die away and get replaced with another virus. Hopefully, we can put this outbreak behind us. It’s unprecedented to have an outbreak of any disease going along this long.”

While avian influenza is usually a seasonal risk, according to Dr. Martin, the current outbreak has lasted two and half years.

Response plans are being prepared at both the state and federal levels, and federal departments are seeking to partner with state-level agencies to help them tailor such plans. 

Commissioner Troxler told the Carolina Journal that there is a concern for a continued outbreak of cases as fall comes and the birds begin to migrate.

“As long as this is endemic in the wild bird population, there’s always that problem, and we have seen things that show that the wild birds are spreading this,” said Commissioner Troxler. “So, biosecurity, especially on our farms, is very, very important. Commingling of any of our livestock on farms with wild birds as a motor, and we’ve worked with people that have backyard flocks of chickens to make them understand that they need to have a way to keep wild birds from comingling, whether it’s water or feed or whatever. That’s very important.” 

“H5N1 is the No. 1 virus of concern for a global pandemic,” said Dr. Robert Califf, FDA Commissioner. It also has a death rate of 50% in humans, according to Commissioner Califf. 

Commissioner Troxler spoke about the concern about the virus being contracted by humans. 

“It’s a concern of all of us,” he said. “We think it’s isolated. There’s more than one case, I think there are about seven cases across the United States now, but they’ve been very mild. Most of it has been conjunctivitis, pinkeye, so, you know, we’ve seen that. But the danger, even if it’s not zoonotic and transfers to humans, is if we must go into a poultry house that has a high pathogenic disease, and we know that there is a danger to workers. Do we have to work with air packs on our backs and hazmat suits? It makes it much more challenging to be able to respond, but you must protect the people. So, we will monitor that, and we will follow the guidelines, but that’s always on our mind.”