CDC launching wastewater dashboard to track bird flu virus spread

CDC launching wastewater dashboard to track bird flu virus spread Federal public health officials are turning to wastewater surveillance to help fill in the gaps in efforts to track H5N1 bird flu outbreaks in dairy cows. Megan Molteni STAT

Reluctance among dairy farmers to report H5N1 bird flu outbreaks within their herds or allow testing of their workers has made it difficult to keep up with the virus’s rapid spread, prompting federal public health officials to look to wastewater to help fill in the gaps.

On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to unveil a public dashboard tracking influenza A viruses in sewage that the agency has been collecting from 600 wastewater treatment sites around the country since last fall.

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