Novel Influenza
Health care providers, administrators, and clinical laboratory directors should report confirmed or suspect cases immediately to their Local Health Department by telephone.
Novel influenza infections are human infections with influenza A viruses that are different from currently circulating seasonal influenza (H1 and H3 viruses). Novel viruses include those that are subtyped as nonhuman in origin and those that are not able to be subtyped using standard laboratory methods and reagents. Human infections with an influenza virus that normally circulates in swine and not people are called variant viruses.
Human infections with variant viruses have been detected in the United States. Avian influenza or bird flu refers to the disease caused by infection with avian influenza A viruses that naturally spread among wild aquatic birds worldwide. These viruses can infect domestic poultry and other bird and animal species. Bird flu viruses do not normally infect humans, however, sporadic human infections with bird flu viruses after close contact with infected birds or animals have occurred.
Rapid detection and reporting of human infections with novel influenza A viruses is important to facilitate prompt awareness and characterization of influenza A viruses with pandemic potential and accelerate the implementation of effective public health responses.
The Department's Communicable Disease Service is working closely with state and federal partners to monitor the current H5N1 bird flu situation in wild birds, poultry and dairy cows, and will provide updates as information is available. Sporadic infections with highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) viruses in mammals have been reported in the United States, Canada, and other countries, but the risk to the general public from these viruses remains low. Currently there are no confirmed influenza A(H5N1) human cases in New Jersey.
Education Materials
NJDOH: Information for Workers English | Spanish
How Infected Backyard Poultry Could Spread Bird Flu to People (CDC)
H5N1 Bird Flu Might Spread from Cows to People (CDC)
Flu Can Spread Between Pigs and People (CDC)