ETIDIOH - NEW

{Excerpt} HONOLULU — The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) State Laboratories Division has detected H5 avian influenza (bird flu) at very low levels in wastewater samples collected at the Līhuʻe Wastewater Treatment Plant on Kauaʻi. The first detection was from a sample collected on Dec. 11, 2024 , that was so low that it was not considered a positive result.  Samples collected on Dec. 18, 2024 and Jan. 8, 2025 had similar detections.  While none is considered a positive result , the consistent very low-level detections indicate a high likelihood that H5 bird flu virus is on Kauaʻi.  No H5 virus infections of birds, dairy cows, or humans have been detected on Kauaʻi to date.  Detection of infected birds in the state has so far been limited to Oʻahu. The H5 bird flu viruses include the H5N1 subtype of bird flu virus that has spread globally in birds since its initial discovery in 1996 and recently has been detected in several mammal species including dairy cows. Wast...

 {Excerpt} HONOLULU — The Hawaiʻi Department of Health (DOH) announced today the first influenza-associated death in a Hawaiʻi resident under the age of 18 during this influenza, or flu season.  This child was a Hawaiʻi County resident with underlying medical conditions .  While specimens were not available for subtyping beyond the positive influenza result, medical and exposure history pointed to seasonal influenza as the most likely cause of illness.  This case is not believed to be associated with the recent wastewater detection of H5 in Hilo .  Out of respect for the family’s privacy, no further information about the child is being released. “It is always a tragedy to lose any life, and we all feel it even more deeply when it is one of our keiki,” said DOH Director Dr. Kenneth Fink. “Seasonal influenza remains a significant health concern. If you or your loved ones have not received the flu vaccine this season, I hope you will consider doing so to help prote...