LIHUE — Bird flu might be rippling through Europe and Asia, according to global health reports, but on Kauai, it’s human pathogens — not those of chickens — that have the attention of health officials.
In fact, the state Department of Health says no recent cases of avian flu have been observed in Hawaii, and the state has measures in place to detect the disease, such as testing and surveillance.
“Avian flu is reported internationally in Asia and Europe … we would not expect it (here) unless there were other indications to suggest a spread,” said Anna Koethe, DOH spokeswoman.
People get avian flu through direct contact with infected birds’ droppings, eye and respiratory secretions and the animals themselves — dead or alive. Poultry is one of the main carriers for the disease, though many birds can contract it.
A prevention zone was declared across all of England in mid-January and the disease has been circulating through wild populations in Europe in recent months.
However, influenza has been making an appearance throughout the islands, as it does year-round in Hawaii.
From the October start of flu season through Jan. 19, a total of 6,081 cases of influenza have been confirmed statewide, with the majority of those cases being Influenza A.
The state’s trends as compared to national trends for the 2017-2018 Influenza season, through Jan. 6, started a bit above the national trend, but is now trailing Mainland trends, according to DOH.
DOH doesn’t have a breakdown of those figures by county, but officials said that data isn’t very useful when it comes to the flu because it doesn’t stay contained to one island.
“With the high occurrence of interisland and international travel we experience each day, it is critical for us to take preventative measures to reduce the rate of infection as much as possible,” Koethe said.
Early indications are pointing to a “severe” flu season nationwide, according to the Center for Disease Control, as influenza is more widespread in 2018 than it has been in recent years.
In Hawaii, officials are waiting for the flu season to develop further before labeling its severity, especially since every flu season is different and different strains circulate every year.
Aside from a flu vaccine, the best way to prevent the spread of influenza is to employ good hand washing practices, cover coughs, and resist the urge to go into work when feeling sick.
