Kansas water treatment plants find moderate levels of influenza

KANSAS (KSNT) - Earlier this month, four water treatment plants that serve a combined population of 180,000 in Kansas, reported moderate levels of influenza in wastewater.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been monitoring an outbreak of the influenza A (H5N1) bird flu. Since 2022, the H5N1 bird flu has killed more than 100 million birds and 191 dairy farm herds. The CDC has tested more than 41,000 specimens with 14 reported human cases.

So far, 14 cases of H5N1 have been reported in humans since 2022. More recently, four poultry workers in Colorado were diagnosed with bird flu. There have also been reports of H5N1 infecting other mammals. The New York Times reported at least 21 domestic cats had been infected.

“We looked at the global distribution and spread of bird flu infections in feline species between 2004 and 2024 and found a drastic rise in reports of feline infections starting in 2023, with a spike in infections reported among domestic cats, as opposed to wild or zoo-kept animals. This increase coincides with the rapid spread of the current strain of H5N1 among mammals,” Kristen Coleman, an assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Health said.

While no cases have been reported in Kansas, water treatment plants in Johnson, Reno and Saline counties reported low or moderate amounts of influenza found in water samples. According to the CDC, wastewater data can't be used to determine which influenza virus subtype is detected or the source of the virus. Once influenza levels reach 80% or higher, the CDC works with partners to understand the reason for the high levels.

In Kansas, Reno and Johnson counties reported having a 47.73 percentile for influenza this month. Two treatment plants in Saline County also reported low findings in the 20 percentile range for influenza.

“The virus is going to sneak up in more places, just like it did in dairy farms. We know cats are being infected, so let’s get ahead of it,” Coleman told NewsNation.

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