AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Public Health announced Thursday that the Texas Epidemic Public Health Institute had detected traces of H5N1, or bird flu, in the city’s wastewater, according to a press release.
The agency said that the “risk to the public remains low,” and that no human cases have been reported locally.
“The detection of influenza viruses in wastewater does not necessarily indicate undetected human cases,” APH said in its release. “Influenza in wastewater can also come from other sources, such as birds or livestock or secretions/excretions into wastewater from infected cows or other animals in the area.”
So far, one Texas farmworker has contracted the virus, according to the Texas Department of Health and Human Services. Nationally, two other human cases of bird flu have been reported. All three cases have had “mild illness,” according to APH.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced in May that it had detected H5N1 in cattle for the first time.
APH asks anyone with flu-like symptoms to seek testing and treatment from a healthcare provider.
The agency also recommends wearing a mask and gloves when handling dead or sick birds, as well as any surfaces they may have contaminated. It also said the public should not consume raw or unpasteurized milk products.