Three Things Thursday highlights three things I am paying attention to as an epidemiologist each week. This week avian influenza has been back in the news a lot. Everyone is talking about the latest human case of H5N1 that was diagnosed in Missouri. While this is just the 14th human case diagnosed in 2024, there have been SO MANY headlines, reports, stories, and news stories. This week’s three things will focus on why this case is so important, what it means to you, and how worried (or not!) you should be.
Before we jump into the avian flu conversation, this morning Alaska’s State Health Department confirmed that an infant has died from the ongoing pertussis — or whooping cough — outbreak that is currently sweeping through Alaska.
No child should die from a vaccine-preventable disease. This child’s death is tragic. The pertussis vaccine (part of the DTaP vaccine) is highly effective, and even if there is a breakthrough infection (following vaccination) it will be less severe (and not life-threatening).
About 4 million deaths are prevented by childhood vaccinations every year.
It breaks my heart to hear that a child, with access to vaccines, died of a vaccine-preventable disease. This death should NOT have happened. And while no parent wants to believe that their child is vulnerable to disease or that there child will be in the 1-3% of kids who die from a vaccine-preventable disease, like pertussis, there is no way to predict which unvaccinated kid will die and which will survive the illness.
The only way to protect our children is through vaccinations. They are so important. I cannot stress their importance enough.
Vaccines save lives.
Tragic stories like the one out of Alaska do NOT need to happen.
They can be prevented. By vaccines.
Switching gears — a bit, as vaccines are part of the avian influenza story — let’s discuss the case of H5N1 (avian influena) diagnosed in Missouri this week. Here’s what you need to know…
Hoping this post helps to educate and empower you
to be healthy and create healthy communities.
Why Is This Case Sooooo… Newsworthy?
This is the first human H5 avian flu case in a patient with no known connection to infected animals. Specifically, this case does not have a known occupational exposure to sick animals. The case was hospitalized after their diagnosis in August, had underlying medical conditions (that made them a high risk for severe infection), was treated with influenza antiviral medications, and has recovered. None of the case’s contacts have become sick.
To date — Missouri hasn't reported any outbreaks of H5N1 in cattle. In February, the state found H5N1 in poultry and the disease has also been reported in wild birds.
Some people are saying that this case could be evidence that there is human-to-human transmission of H5N1. However, Amesh Adalja MD, of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security told MedPage Today —
“It does raise the concern level, but there is a lot of information needed to understand how much it raises concern… While Missouri isn't currently reporting any infected cattle herds, there are likely infected herds there, and in many other of the 36 states that have not officially reported cases.”
What Does This Mean To You?
Honestly, at this point in time — this is just news. NOT an alarm.
We know this case is out there, and that they have recovered fully. We should be encouraged by the fact that none of the close contacts of the case have become sick.
In light of this news (which, again, is NOT cause for alarm) —
The one thing you should do is schedule your flu shot. The next 3-6 weeks would be the ideal time to get your influenza vaccine. The flu vaccine will — protect you against the seasonal flu and will (likely) protect you if you are exposed to H5N1.
How Worried Should You Be?
At this point in time — there is no need to worry.
We know that an individual with underlying health conditions has contracted avian influenza. This individual did not report (or know of) any animal exposures, but that does NOT mean there was not an animal exposure. More research is needed. A lot of work needs to be done to determine how this individual contracted the disease.
For now we wait for more information.
We cannot predict what will be found in the future. We should stay in the present.
Be present. And do not worry about this Missouri case (right now).
And be sure you are subscribed to Epi Matters. As new news about the Missouri case or H5N1 (in general) becomes available, you want to be sure you get the most up-to-date information delivered straight to your inbox.
Do you have any questions — about H5N1? or pertussis? or other vaccine-preventable diseases? Please leave a comment —
Epi(demiology) Matters is written by Dr. Becky Dawson, PhD MPH — an epidemiologist, teacher, mom, wife, and dedicated yogi. She is a tenured professor at Allegheny College, Research Director at a community hospital, and an exclusive contributor (all things health & medicine) at Erie News Now (NBC/CBS). Her goal is to create healthy communities for all. She writes Epi Matters — first & foremost because epidemiology does matter (to all of us) and she hopes that each post will help to educate and empower readers to be healthy and create healthy communities.
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Epi(demiology) Matters is free — because science, reports, news, updates, and alerts about health should NOT be behind a paywall. EVER. Everyone needs access to up-to-date health information in order to be healthy and create healthy communities for all.
I appreciate this info, Becky! One question: if you are a grandparent and your child is expecting in January 2025, is it better to wait for a flu and COVID shot closer to her due date? (yes, this is Janelle's second :-) We just checked our Tdap and we are all up to date. Thanks!