To avoid dual infection, the Johnson County Health Department recommends flu shots

Iowa City, Iowa – In addition to preventing the seasonal flu, the Johnson County Department of Public Health is encouraging individuals to get the flu shot in order to stop the creation of a possible new virus.

The CDC reports that human instances of avian flu are now occurring. 66 human cases—including one in Iowa—are reported.

“I think that case was number 61 in the country right now,” stated Sam Jarvis, Manager of the Community Health Division of Johnson County Public Health.

Jarvis is encouraging more Iowans to get the flu shot in order to stop a new virus from developing, not because it can assist in preventing someone from contracting bird flu. Although the CDC reports a high rate of flu cases in the state, state data indicates that fewer Iowans, especially small children, are getting the flu vaccine than in previous years.

“We don’t want people to get sick from both seasonal flu and possibly bird flu at the same time,” Jarvis stated.

This video featuring UIHC physician and Johnson County Board of Health member Dr. Melanie Wellington was posted by the Johnson County Health Department. She describes how the combination of these two viruses infecting a cell might create a virus that has never been seen before.

According to Dr. Wellington, “When new virus copies were created, it would insert a copy of each segment, but it wouldn’t consider whether that segment originated from the human flu or the bird flu.” “In an instant, a new flu virus could be created by combining the two existing viruses, and it would be something different that no one would know how to react to.”

Dual infections are “rare,” according to the CDC, but if they do happen, they can result in a virus with a novel gene combination that poses a serious risk to public health. For this reason, Jarvis thinks it’s a good idea to get the flu shot in order to protect yourself now and lower the chance of a new virus emerging.