THURSDAY, Sept. 19, 2024 (HealthDay News) — The findings from influenza A virus and H5 subtype monitoring of wastewater have been published in the Sep. 19 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Souci Louis, V.M.D., from the CDC in Atlanta, and colleagues present the results of monitoring influenza A virus levels and detection of the H5 subtype in wastewater as part of the response to the highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) virus outbreak in U.S. cattle and poultry and associated human cases.

A weekly average of 309 sites in 38 states had sufficient data for analysis among 48 states and the District of Columbia that performed influenza A testing of wastewater during May 12 to July 13, 2024. The researchers found that 11 of these sites in four states reported high levels of influenza A virus. H5 was detected at 24 sites in nine states after H5 subtype testing was conducted at 203 sites in 41 states. Three of the four states with high influenza A virus levels detected in wastewater had corresponding evidence of human influenza activity from other influenza surveillance systems. Fifteen of the 24 sites with H5 detections identified animal sources within the sewershed or adjacent county, including eight milk-processing inputs.

“The findings in this report, and data from wastewater surveillance in general, can complement traditional influenza surveillance systems,” the authors write.

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