Bird flu, or H5N1, has been detected in wastewater in the greater Houston area, Harris County Public Health confirmed to ABC13 on Tuesday. However, HCPH said there are no human cases of the virus in Harris County, and the source of H5N1 in the wastewater is unknown. "The most likely source is related to agriculture, and the public risk remains low," HCPH said.
Houston is one of nine Texas cities where the virus was detected in wastewater samples between March 1 and May 13, 2024. This comes as the city of Austin reported that it detected traces of the virus in its wastewater systems. City officials there also said there were no human cases, and the risk to the public remains low.
Even though bird flu has been detected in wastewater samples in the Houston area, it doesn't necessarily mean that there are people in our communities who are infected. Chris Van Deusen with the Texas Department of State Health Services told ABC13's Rosie Nguyen on Monday that traces of the dead virus could still be detected in milk that has been pasteurized if it came from a cow with the bird flu. If someone pours that milk down the drain, that's one way it could end up in wastewater systems.
"The way most wastewater testing is done, it's through a test called PCR. What that sort of looks for is fragments of the genetic materials in a virus. So it doesn't necessarily mean it's a live virus," Van Deusen said.
"One thing that could be going on here is the milk coming from cows in another part of the st.