Readout of CDC/ASTHO/CSTE/APHL Call Regarding Avian Influenza Preparedness

April 08, 2024

ARLINGTON, VA—On Friday, Nirav D. Shah, CDC’s Principal Deputy Director, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, Director of CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, and Dr. Vivien Dugan, Director of CDC’s Influenza Division, met with members of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE), and the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) to discuss avian influenza planning.

CDC officials emphasized that, although the risk to the public remains low, the agency wants state public health officials to be prepared to respond. CDC recommended that state public health officials engage with their state veterinarians and agriculture department officials to ensure that they have up-to-date operational plans to respond to avian influenza at the state level. For example, CDC emphasized the importance of having plans in place to quickly test and provide treatment to potentially impacted farm workers following positive results among cattle herds. CDC also encouraged state health officials to communicate about any challenges they are facing.

ASTHO, CSTE, and APHL members support CDC’s recommendations and look forward to continuing their partnership with their state agriculture counterparts, as well as CDC and other federal agencies, as part of their preparedness efforts.

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ASTHO is the national nonprofit organization representing the public health agencies of the United States, the U.S. territories and freely associated states, and Washington, D.C., as well as the more than 100,000 public health professionals these agencies employ. ASTHO members, the chief health officials of these jurisdictions, are dedicated to formulating and influencing sound public health policy and to ensuring excellence in public health practice.