LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Concerns about the spread of H5N1, also known as bird flu, are rising nationwide.
In Southern Nevada, a dedicated team at UNLV is at the forefront, working to keep our community informed and protected. Scientists from the wastewater program are now adding bird flu to the diseases they monitor.
I joined one scientist today to see their process firsthand.
Meet Michael Moshi. He's part of the UNLV wastewater testing team. Moshi and his colleagues collect samples from various sites across the valley.
He begins by disinfecting the jug that will be used to collect the wastewater. Then, he gathers the equipment.
"This is basically a computer and a pump. We connect the hose here and it goes down into the sewer line."
Then, he took me to the sewer.
He hooks up the hose to the equipment, drops it into the sewer, and starts the pump to suck up the water.
Once the sample is secured, it's taken back to the lab at UNLV for analysis.
There, Dr. Edwin Oh, the leader of the wastewater program, says scientists carefully test for various pathogens, including the H5N1 virus.
"We know that this is a virus present in Texas, in Michigan, so we are curious to understand if it will spread towards California and Nevada," Oh said.
According to the latest from the CDC, there have been three cases of bird flu reported in the U.S. this year. All three cases were tied to exposure to dairy cows, reported between April 1 and May 29, 2024.
"Do we have bird flu in Las Vegas," I asked.
"Based on the results from our wastewater, we do not have H5N1 or bird flu," Oh replied.
Even with all the worry nationwide, Oh points out how lucky we are to have this technology, which speeds up virus detection so officials can jump into action as soon as it is spotted.
"If there is an analysis of individuals in the valley, direct testing of humans, complemented with wastewater monitoring is the way to go."
Oh says they will continue closely monitoring our wastewater and provide regular updates on their testing.
They're collaborating with Southern Nevada Health District officials should bird flu be detected in our wastewater.
