Ohio leaders should support farmers fighting bird flu
Bird flu, or H5N1, has disrupted the work of poultry farmers for years and began infecting dairy herds last year. (Photo by Lance Cheung/USDA)
As a physician, I have been closely following our country's bird flu crisis. I am especially concerned about the recent revelation that someone from Mercer County has become the first person in Ohio to contract the virus, one of nearly 70 cases in the United States. To complicate matters further, a second type of bird flu has been detected in dairy cows in Nevada, and a new strain of the bird flu virus, H5N9, was found in California.
These developments are precisely what many public health officials have been most concerned about as this means that bird flu is transforming in a way that could allow it to spread more easily in humans.
For this reason, I was shocked to learn that the Trump administration accidentally fired 25% of the federal workers handling our country's bird flu response and are scrambling to try to correct the mistake. I also read the news that the new administration halted the release of public health information related to bird flu virus and studies that could help reduce its spread. I call on Ohio U.S. Sens. Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted to do what they can to see that efforts to fight bird flu are reinstated.
Sen. Husted, in particular, should champion this effort given his appointment to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pension, which is responsible for matters related to public health. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ohio has more birds affected by the virus than any other state. Ohio farmers need support; Sen. Husted should take decisive action to stop the spread of bird flu.
Gov. DeWine seeking more federal support for Ohio flocks reeling from bird flu
I support researchers at Ohio State working to find ways to curb the spread of the virus and Ohio Department of Agriculture Director Brian Baldridge, who is helping farmers adopt practices to keep the virus at bay. The reality is that washing hands, disinfecting equipment, and even exterminating millions of birds has not been enough.
Now is the time to take a hard look at the food production system that puts farm workers in close contact with sick birds and cows, the Standard American Diet that demands it, and the health ramifications of both. Bird flu is raising concerns among Americans about the care and well-being of our food supply.
A new Morning Consult survey shows that 86% of Americans surveyed would not drink milk if they knew it contained dead bird flu virus. The survey was conducted for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a public health nonprofit.
Last spring, Ohio State University researchers found H5N1 viral RNA in 58 of 150 commercially available milk product samples from 10 states. These milk products were easily available on local grocery store shelves.
Consumers are clear in this new survey that they do not want to consume cow's milk affected by bird flu virus, even if the milk is pasteurized and the risk of infection is low. What should consumers drink if they are worried about bird flu and want an alternative to cow's milk?
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Fortunately, nutritious plant-based milks, like oat milk and almond milk are prevalent and tasty. They are also safe for the majority of Latino Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, and Native Americans who are lactose intolerant.
Almond milk is low in calories, high in vitamin E, and often fortified with calcium and vitamin D. Soy milk is full of isoflavones, which have been shown to reduce breast cancer risk, and has an amount of protein comparable to cow's milk.
Oat milk has a creamy texture, may help lower cholesterol, and is often fortified with calcium and vitamin D. Other plant-based milk alternatives include rice milk, cashew milk, coconut milk, pea milk, and hemp milk.
I am often asked by family members and friends how concerned they should be about the spread of the virus among backyard birds, pets, and people. While I wish I could put everyone's mind at ease, the reality is that our country has experienced the death of a patient who was stricken with bird flu. The virus has sickened dozens of people, decimated poultry populations, and infected dairy cows.
Until we are able to stop the spread of bird flu, Ohio leaders should do what they can to protect consumers, help farmers keep bird flu at bay, and support crop farmers and businesses producing plant-based foods.
Angela Eakin, MD, is a board-certified family physician and lifestyle medicine physician from Columbus. She is a member of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a public health nonprofit with more than 17,000 doctor members.
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