AVIAN influenza H5 was detected in municipal wastewater solids during a U.S. cattle outbreak, providing a potential early warning system for future outbreaks. This is according to a press release from IDWeek 2024 in Los Angeles, California, October 16-19.
In 2024, an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b spread to dairy cattle in the United States, raising concerns about animal contributions to wastewater. Using a hydrolysis probe digital droplet RT-PCR assay, researchers from Stanford University, California and Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, specifically targeted the H5 hemagglutinin gene of influenza A virus, achieving 100% specificity and 90% sensitivity. Wastewater treatment plants across 59 locations were monitored, with several showing aseasonal spikes in IAV markers after the typical flu season had passed.
Retrospective analysis of samples from three WWTPs in Texas revealed the presence of the H5 marker before official confirmation of H5N1 cases in cattle or humans, with two plants receiving discharge from animal processing facilities. This early detection highlights the role wastewater surveillance can play in identifying zoonotic threats before widespread outbreak, particularly in agricultural and industrial settings.
The study emphasizes the need to consider agricultural inputs when monitoring wastewater for pathogens and demonstrates the power of this tool for real-time public health interventions. Wastewater data could have provided crucial early warning signs, potentially limiting the spread of the virus.
Reference: Zulli A et al. Detection of hemagglutinin H5 influenza A virus sequence in municipal wastewater solids during an outbreak of avian influenza. Abstract 309. IDWeek 2024, October 16-19, 2024.
Anaya Malik | AMJ
