Testimony of Jaime M. Yassif at U.S. House Hearing on “Strengthening Biosafety and Biosecurity
The headlines ring alarm bells: “Highly pathogenic avian influenza detected in Texas, Kansas dairy cattle.” “Bird flu outbreak reaches dairy farm workers.” “First human case of avian flu reported in Texas, sparking concerns.” Could this be the genesis of the next pandemic? While US officials currently assert minimal public risk from the latest strain of bird flu, uncertainties linger.
Yet, amidst mounting evidence hinting at potential mammal-to-mammal transmission mere weeks post-detection of the new avian flu strain in cows, many within the biosecurity and pandemic readiness domain advocate for proactive measures from global leadership. The looming specter of the H5N1 flu virus acquiring human-to-human transmission capability necessitates preemptive action.
Instances of transmission to humans have surfaced: Recently, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed a second individual in the US testing positive for avian flu. The initial US H5N1 human case emerged in 2022, involving a poultry worker in Colorado, while the recent case entailed a dairy worker with direct exposure to infected cattle in Texas. Both incidents showcased mild symptoms, with successful treatment and recovery, yet past avian flu episodes worldwide have yielded graver outcomes, including fatalities. The looming question — and a source of scientists’ apprehension — remains whether the virus will mutate to facilitate easier human-to-human transmission.
March witnessed the first documented case of H5N1 virus in cattle, with definitive cow-to-cow transmission pending confirmation. The spread of cases across at least six states hints at potential direct inter-cattle virus transmission during inter-farm transportation, rather than solely via infected avian carriers.
In the backdrop of uncertainty shrouding future developments, numerous experts advocate for intensified governmental intervention, citing the looming specter of a bird flu-driven pandemic. Many posit that Covid-19 might have originated through a similar avenue — traversing from animals to humans initially through mammalian intermediaries in close contact with humans, before evolving into direct human-to-human transmission.
The imperative for the US and other governments worldwide to accord H5N1 due seriousness, coupled with imbibing lessons gleaned from the disruptive Covid-19 pandemic, cannot be overstated. Immediate measures should entail leveraging available resources to forestall unmitigated proliferation of the H5N1 avian flu strain, should it acquire human transmission capabilities. This encompasses financing research into potentially efficacious vaccines, augmenting surveillance of both livestock and human populations, and fortifying emergency response protocols.
Encouragingly, the US Department of Health and Human Services has bolstered surveillance systems and backed experimental testing of prospective vaccine candidates demonstrating enhanced efficacy against this novel avian flu strain, compared to the dated, limited H5N1 vaccine stocks developed years prior.
Looking ahead, collaborative efforts between human and animal health sectors — including the CDC and the US Department of Agriculture — assume paramount importance in bolstering biosurveillance endeavors. This necessitates devising a cohesive monitoring framework encompassing human and animal populations, underpinned by robust data exchange mechanisms to monitor virus evolution trends.
Moreover, should the US government succeed in identifying an efficacious vaccine for the novel avian flu strain, expeditious blueprinting of production protocols becomes imperative, ensuring readiness for potential exigencies. Concurrently, governments worldwide should recalibrate and enact existing pandemic flu response blueprints, should H5N1 commence human transmission.
Preparation for a plausible avian flu outbreak mandates immediate governmental action, notwithstanding prevailing uncertainties. Delaying intervention until confirmed human outbreaks manifest could exacerbate containment challenges manifold.
Simultaneously, reevaluation of long-term strategies to bolster global pandemic response capabilities assumes critical significance. The Global Health Security Index underscores glaring lacunae in countries’ pandemic preparedness arsenals.
The Covid pandemic underscored the pivotal role of preparedness in mitigating loss of life. A recent study by experts from the Brown University Pandemic Center, the Gates Foundation, and NTI underscored that nations boasting robust pandemic preparedness frameworks recorded lower fatality rates than their less prepared counterparts.
A scientist conducts avian influenza tests on a deceased seal in South Georgia Island, South Atlantic Ocean, December 2023. Dr. Marco Falchieri, APHA/Handout via REUTERS, supplied by a third party. No resales. No archives. Mandatory credit.
A steady spectrum of capacities, spanning disease surveillance mechanisms, medical countermeasure distribution networks, and public health infrastructure for deploying non-pharmaceutical interventions, has proven effective.
Farsighted investments aimed at fortifying countries’ pandemic preparedness apparatus today constitute a prerequisite to combatting worst-case H5N1 pandemic scenarios or preempting future pandemics. Given Covid’s reverberations, the tepid allocation of resources by national governments to bolster life-saving pandemic preparedness capabilities defies logic.
In the US, federal allocations earmarked for pandemic influenza mitigation pale in comparison to exigent requirements. While government advisors advocate for $1.15 billion in pandemic influenza funding for 2025, the Biden administration’s solicitation amounts to a mere $335 million. Furthermore, pandemic preparedness funding has been subject to substantial congressional pruning, compounding the issue.
This predicament isn’t confined to the US alone. Internationally, most nations — irrespective of resource abundance — have refrained from channeling financial resources towards augmenting pandemic preparedness. The 2021 Global Health Security Index highlights that 155 out of 195 countries failed to allocate funds over the past three years to fortify their pandemic readiness, barring public health emergencies.
The White House’s unveiling of a novel Global Health Security Strategy, coupled with its pledge to collaborate with 50 countries to enhance pandemic preparedness, represents a commendable stride. However, translating this pledge into tangible outcomes mandates robust financial backing and unwavering political commitment from the US government and its allies.
Furthermore, steadfast support for the World Bank Pandemic Fund assumes critical importance. Designed to bolster long-term pandemic preparedness capacities in low- and middle-income countries, the fund garnered $1.9 billion in pledged resources from national governments, philanthropic entities, and other stakeholders. However, the fund’s dwindling reserves necessitate prompt allocation towards vital capacity-building initiatives. Experts estimate an annual outlay of approximately $10 billion for at least five years to furnish countries with the requisite resources for building infectious disease detection and response capabilities, crucial for pandemic mitigation.
Covid has underscored the existential threat posed by pandemics, with fatalities echoing across numerous regions. Governments must act resolutely and swiftly to preempt the looming H5N1
#PandemicPreparedness #PublicHealth #GlobalSecurity #AvianFlu #Biosecurity