About 1,100 wild birds were found dead across several counties last week in New Jersey, raising concerns about a possible avian flu outbreak. State officials have said that while tests are not yet conclusive, a virus may be responsible for the deaths.
Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH) has responded by increasing efforts to monitor and reduce potential public health risks related to these viruses, which include but are not limited to seasonal flu strains.
“We don’t just ignore these things – we take them seriously,” said David Perlin, Ph.D., chief scientific officer and executive vice president of HMH’s Center for Discovery and Innovation (CDI).
Researchers at CDI have developed technology to quickly sequence and test for viruses, including new mutations. This testing is used in HMH hospitals when patients show influenza symptoms but do not test positive for common seasonal flu strains. The sequencing process helps track avian flu and any changes in the virus over time.
Perlin noted that further steps depend on state testing results, which will inform health partners about the cause of the bird deaths.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, CDI played a key role by creating its own COVID-19 test with results available within two hours. This allowed hospitals to manage severely ill patients more effectively while many other facilities nationwide waited days for test confirmations from federal labs.
Avian flu is known to circulate widely among wild birds globally and has led to outbreaks among poultry and dairy cows in the United States. There have been some cases where farmers who had direct contact with infected animals became sick themselves; at least one person has died from bird flu in the U.S.
