Bird flu detected in Arizona wastewater. Here’s what you need to know

Avian flu or bird flu was detected in wastewater in Phoenix, Surprise and Tempe, the Maricopa County Department of Public Health confirmed on Monday.

All three of the cities conduct wastewater monitoring, MCDPH said, but the precise source of the viral detection was not known.

“Wastewater monitoring is one of multiple tools we have to proactively monitor for avian flu in our community,” said Dr. Nick Staab, assistant medical director at MCDPH. “Given that no human cases have been identified in Maricopa County through our other disease detection methods, and there is no recent documented spread of H5N1 influenza from human to human, the overall risk of avian flu to people remains low.”

Two cases of bird flu were detected in Arizona in November 2024, including an outbreak at a commercial poultry farm in Pinal County and bird flu found in a backyard flock.

Bird flu was also found to be affecting animals at the Wildlife World Zoo in Litchfield Park in December 2024. Officials at the zoo said a cheetah, mountain lion, swamphen, an Indian goose and a kookaburra died as a result of bird flu exposure. A white tiger tested positive but responded to treatment, the zoo said.

Bird flu was also detected in December in geese at a park in Scottsdale.

What animals are most at risk for contracting bird flu?

A specific subtype of bird flu, caused by the avian influenza A(H5) virus, is spreading worldwide in wild birds and causing sporadic outbreaks in U.S. poultry and dairy cows, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There have been no detections of the viral strain in dairy cattle in Arizona.

Bird flu is most often seen in domestic and wild birds including waterbirds, like ducks, geese and swans, and shorebirds, like storks, the CDC said.

While most wild birds can be infected with avian influenza A viruses without being sick, it can cause severe illness or be fatal for domesticated birds like chicken and turkey. Most common songbirds or other birds like cardinals, robins, sparrows, blue jays, crows or pigeons, do not get infected with avian influenza viruses, according to the CDC.

What is wastewater monitoring, and why is it beneficial?

Wastewater monitoring is a tool used to detect genetic material from microbes, like influenza A and its subtypes, in untreated wastewater, helping inform public health and partners on changing disease activity.

It is a complementary approach to traditional public health surveillance that gets data from lab testing and hospital visits.

Public health officials can detect the presence of pathogens shed by all individuals through wastewater testing, including those who are asymptomatic and consequently not seeking treatment.

An example of wastewater monitoring in action was its use of an early indicator of COVID-19 disease.

How easy is it for humans to catch bird flu?

The CDC confirmed the first case of “severe” avian influenza on Dec. 20, less than a month after a child in California was first diagnosed with the virus.

The CDC also confirmed a person from Louisiana had avian influenza A virus, H5N1, after they were exposed to sick and dead birds in a backyard flock, according to the CDC. The patient was hospitalized, marking the first “severe” human case in the United States.

This year, 66 people in the U.S. have been infected with bird flu. Arizona currently has no confirmed cases, but has two of probable cases, according to the CDC.

Two Pinal County workers were exposed to bird flu through infected poultry in the beginning of December.

When a case tests positive for H5 at a public health laboratory but testing at CDC is not able to confirm H5 infection, it is deemed a “probable case.”

How does bird flu spread to humans?

According to the MCPHD, human cases have been rare and primarily found in people with close, unprotected contact with sick or dead animals, their bedding, or their droppings.

Health officials advise avoiding contact with sick or dead birds and wearing appropriate protective gear when handling sick or dead animals, their droppings, or their bedding.

Can you get bird flu from eggs?

It is also advised to avoid consuming unpasteurized (raw) dairy products. Pasteurization kills viruses, including H5 influenza strains, that could come from infected dairy cows.

This winter has seen a marked increase in respiratory viruses, like COVID-19 and seasonal flu strains, making it more likely that people in the community will come into contact with those viruses versus bird flu, said MCPHD.

“To prevent illness, we want residents and visitors to focus on taking general respiratory virus prevention measures,” said Dr. Staab.

People can minimize the risk with the following steps

• Practice good hand hygiene, which includes hand washing and using hand sanitizer when soap and water are not available.

• Get your seasonal flu and COVID-19 vaccines.

  • Seasonal flu vaccination will not prevent infection with bird flu viruses but can reduce the risk of getting sick with human influenza viruses and thus the risk for seasonal and bird flu co-infection.

  • Seasonal flu and COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective at reducing severity of symptoms, and they also reduce the likelihood of getting infected with flu or COVID-19.

• Talk with your healthcare provider about other vaccines that are recommended for certain groups, such as the RSV vaccine and pneumococcal vaccine.

• Stay home and away from others if you are sick.

• If symptoms worsen or you are at higher risk of severe illness, contact your medical provider. Consider wearing a mask if you seek healthcare for your symptoms.

If you see signs of illness in your poultry, report them immediately to United States Department of Agriculture at 1-866-536-7593. If you see sick or dead wild birds, please contact the Arizona Game and Fish Department at 623-236-7201.

Additional information on bird flu

Reporter Austin Corona contributed to the article.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Bird flu found in Phoenix, Surprise and Tempe wastewater

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