In our February issue, we reported on the current H5N1 avian influenza situation. As is the case with infectious disease outbreaks, new details have emerged since the issue went to print, alongside a frightening and rapid dismantling of public health and science infrastructure at the state and federal levels. This is, of course, amidst other chaos that has erupted since the second Trump administration began, and it can be difficult to keep track of everything. ANTIGRAVITY is committed to providing updates as they emerge, and to making sure that our community members have the knowledge necessary to keep themselves safe.
Mary Beth Campbell is a trained public health professional, but this feature is not a substitute for advice or care provided by a licensed medical or health care professional. All information provided is current at the time of publication, but new information may arise.
At the time of this writing, H5N1 avian influenza still does not appear to have mutated to be transmitted between humans. However, further transmission between humans and non-human mammals has been identified. On January 31, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed that the H5N1 genotype D1.1 was found in dairy cattle. This genotype—or genetic sequence, in this case used to identify a particular strain of the virus—is the same one believed to be responsible for causing disease in at least 15 people across the U.S. While most of these cases presented as mild illness, the D1.1 genotype was also responsible for the severe case in a teenager in British Columbia, Canada and the death of a patient in Louisiana. On February 13, the CDC—after weeks of being forced to put a pause on external communications by the Trump administration—finally released a new Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) detailing three asymptomatic cases of H5N1 infections in veterinarians who cared for animals, including dairy cattle. One of these individuals practiced in two states (Georgia and North Carolina) without known H5N1 infection in dairy cattle or humans, and did not treat animals with known H5N1 infection. This suggests that there might be unidentified H5N1 cases in dairy cattle, and that wider testing of herds and dairy products is needed. These cases also highlight the importance of taking precautions when at risk of exposure to H5N1, and to making personal protective equipment (PPE) readily available to anyone who has the potential of being exposed to H5N1.
On February 20, the CDC finally released an MMWR describing two separate cases of indoor cats infected with H5N1, presumably via exposure to humans who worked on dairy farms. If humans can transmit H5N1 to cats, then the opposite can also occur. These findings pose a concern, and are a reminder that it is important to prevent exposure in pet cats and other non-human animals.
Precautions to prevent further transmission and mutation of H5N1 can, and should, still be taken. Part of this includes taking other outbreaks seriously, as everything is interconnected. The current flu season is the worst it has been in nearly 30 years in terms of outpatient and emergency room visits, with vaccination coverage low in both adults and children, and COVID-19 remains a public health issue. It is not too late to get vaccinated for either. And let us not ignore the fact that there is a measles outbreak in West Texas. At the time of publication, there were 90 confirmed cases—though health officials suspect that there could be between 200 and 300 people who are infected but untested—and 13 hospitalizations to date, most of them children, almost all of whom were unvaccinated or of an unknown vaccine status. The measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine, it should be emphasized, is 93% effective against measles infection after one dose and 97% effective after two.
It is important to think of these outbreaks in the context of our current political climate, which is a public health crisis in its own right. We find ourselves at a troubling crossroads with the Elon Musk-led U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) hell-bent on dismantling public health infrastructure, including (but certainly not limited to): purging data and resources as part of a targeted campaign against “DEI”; abhorrent gender essentialist language on CDC websites as part of the concerted violence against transgender and gender non-conforming people; a sweeping freeze on all United States Agency for International Development (USAID) programs; threats to National Institutes of Health (NIH) research funding; and mass firings across federal health agencies. In an example of astounding hubris and incompetence, it was revealed on February 18 that the USDA, under the command of DOGE, had “accidentally” fired individuals who were working on an H5N1 response plan. At the time of publication, they were still trying to re-hire those workers.
On February 13, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. was officially confirmed as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), despite his being a noted vaccine skeptic and promoter of public health conspiracy theories, even in the face of evidence. Among the many troubling aspects of Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) plan is his desire to reconsider childhood vaccine schedules. Within hours of Kennedy’s confirmation, Louisiana Surgeon General Dr. Ralph Abraham and Deputy Surgeon General Dr. Wyche Coleman, III—neither of whom is an infectious disease specialist or has any significant public health experience—released a statement on the Louisiana Department of Health’s (LDH) website explaining that LDH would no longer promote mass vaccination and that LDH employees are banned from holding vaccine events and promoting vaccines. In November 2024, Abraham and Coleman circulated a dubious form letter to exempt health care professionals from vaccinations. It has also been revealed that, despite his claims otherwise, Abraham might not be a board-certified family physician. Abraham and Coleman’s February 13 statement is an official version of the mandate that all LDH employees received in November 2024 and contains cherry-picked data and anti-vaccination and anti-public health language masked as “individual choice.” Republican Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy has spoken out against this mandate, though he also voted to confirm Kennedy as head of HHS.
All of these mandates and cuts have major, negative implications for the health not only of U.S. citizens but also people across the world, including placing us all at higher risk for an H5N1 pandemic. Once again, when faced with this information, we need to remember to not panic but to take this seriously and to take action, which includes staying updated on the latest news and data. We are better prepared to protect ourselves and our communities when we are rooted in reality.
In good news, the USDA has conditionally approved a vaccine to protect poultry flocks from H5N1, which will help quell transmission, and there is still a human vaccine in development. We know what signs to look out for, and what precautions to take. Data collection and reporting is still occurring at this time, including at the state and international levels, and there are public health professionals across the globe committed to doing the work, no matter what the cost. On February 13, after the LDH news was released, the City of New Orleans passed a resolution to continue to support vaccination efforts and has shared information on how to identify misinformation. Dr. Jennifer Avegno, the director of the New Orleans Health Department (NOHD), also issued an official statement emphasizing NOHD’s commitment to providing access to vaccines and protecting public health. This is a reminder that we are not powerless. People in the realms of science, public health, and medicine have an obligation to continue to speak up, to push back against misinformation and harmful policy, and to provide accessible education and services to the general public. Complacency will not protect us. And, for everyone else, please remember that public health issues are intertwined with all social issues. The AIDS activist movement taught us that, as did COVID-19. The people who will be most harmed by cuts to public health are the people who are already most harmed by society. We can criticize certain aspects of our institutions while also recognizing that what we need is actual reform, not mindless destruction. None of this work will be easy, but that does not mean that we sit back and let our public health infrastructure be demolished. If we are to prevent more outbreaks, if we are to stave off fascism, we must not lose sight of reality and we must maintain the health of our communities.
illustrations by Kate Lacour
