Bird flu and the egg shortage: Epidemiologist shares what you should know to stay healthy

Can’t find eggs at your local grocery store? You’re not alone.  The recent H5N1 bird flu has led to the culling of millions of egg-laying chickens, leading to higher egg prices and egg shortages across the nation. 

Health officials have also reported cases of H5N1 in wild birds and dairy cattle, highlighting the virus’s ability to jump between species. So far, 67 people in the U.S. have been reported to have contracted bird flu from infected animals. 

FIU News talks with Mary Jo Trepka, epidemiologist and chair at the FIU Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work, about the bird flu, the current public health risks, and how people can stay healthy. 

How concerned should we be about the recent rise in bird flu cases?

Over the years, we’ve seen an increase in bird flu cases in poultry, wild birds and cattle, with some sporadic cases in humans. Bird flu in humans is a very rare event. However, given the enormous number of people that work with poultry and cattle, it's not surprising that there are some cases of the virus transmitting to humans.

With that said, we have not yet seen sustained H5N1 human-to-human transmission. For that to occur, the virus would need to mutate into a strain that can spread easily between humans. This could happen. That’s why the public health system needs to be highly vigilant at this point. We need to be looking out for the first case of human-to-human transmission. If that does occur, then we have a major problem. We could potentially have a pandemic. 

The egg shortage is being felt nationwide. If we do get our hands on eggs, are they safe to eat? 

At this point, we don't have any evidence of people getting bird flu by consuming poultry, eggs or dairy. However, there's always a risk of getting food poisoning from undercooked foods. You can contract bacteria like salmonella or campylobacter from raw eggs, for example, which can make you very sick. 

My best advice: Be smart in the way that you handle raw foods. Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds after handling them. Clean and sanitize all the areas these raw foods have touched. Some people might think that washing the eggs makes them safe. However, I should note that poultry carry infections like Salmonella Entertidis inside the egg—not just on the shell. So, just cook your raw food thoroughly and you’ll be fine.

Furthermore, I recommend that people only drink pasteurized milk because the bird flu virus has been found in raw milk, but it’s killed by pasteurization. Raw milk in general is not safe because it can be contaminated with bacteria such as E. coli and Listeria.  

Who is at risk of contracting bird flu? 

At this point, it’s mostly an occupational health concern. So, those at risk are people who work in agriculture specifically with poultry and cattle. Veterinarians could also be at risk if they end up working with these animals. Another example could be hunters, especially those hunting geese, who have direct contact with a sick bird. 

What are some bird flu symptoms people should watch out for? 

The symptoms are like what we see with the seasonal flu except that people also develop conjunctivitis or pink eye—a common symptom of bird flu. 

For the general public, if they are experiencing flu-like symptoms—like a fever, cough and/or sore throat— it's most likely the seasonal flu. If people do experience flu-like symptoms, I’d encourage them to visit their doctor to help them get treated, especially if they are older or have other health problems. Just like with any sickness, rest, stay hydrated, and avoid contact with other people. 

People should still get the seasonal flu vaccine because their risk of getting this type of flu is much, much greater than the bird flu at this point.

Is there a bird flu vaccine? 

The CDC has prepared candidate vaccine viruses against bird flu as part of pandemic preparedness.  However, that is just the first step, so at this time, there is no vaccine for humans against bird flu.  Should one of the many different circulating avian influenza strains develop the ability to be efficiently transmitted from human to human, there would have to be a vaccine against that specific strain.  At this time, we don’t know which strain that would be or even if any strain would develop that ability.  If a strain did develop that ability, a vaccine against that specific strain would need to be fully developed and manufactured.