Worries About Bird Flu Grow In Texas Due To Wastewater Infection

The state of Texas is currently examining its water supply after a startling discovery of the bird flu in it, at higher levels than one would expect. Here's what is known at the time of writing.

Bird Flu Levels In Texas Water Startlingly High

According to NewsWeek, recent water testing in the state of Texas revealed some troubling news. Prior testing, done before the month of March this year, the bird flu was nowhere to be found in the state's waters, But, during the months of March through July, data changed.

When ten cities waters were tested throughout the previous months mentioned, all water in the cities were found to have the bird flu in them. To be exact, 22 wastewater areas had a positive test for it. The total number of areas is 23, leaving one with a negative test.

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Reasons For Concern In Texas

According to Joseph L. Melnick Chair of Virology at Baylor College of Medicine, Anthony W. Maresso, this data is concerning for many reasons:

"These results need to be taken very seriously, especially given the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic we all just went through...We don't want to create unnecessary concern, but it would be a mistake to dismiss the fact that avian flu is now in mammals at a level that we have not before observed."

While numbers increased in the water, the data does not match with human infections, which is a good thing. But, the state will still need to watch the growth of Bird Flu, as it effects the animals around us.

As this is a developing story, we will have more information when it becomes available.