From WisPolitics.com/WisBusiness.com …
— State health officials have identified Wisconsin’s first human case of bird flu, located in Barron County.
The state Department of Health Services says this person was exposed to an infected poultry flock in the county, which was announced earlier this month by DATCP. The highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, case was identified at the Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene and is pending confirmation by the CDC.
DHS is working with Barron County Health and Human Services to monitor other farm workers who may have been exposed, though today’s announcement notes the risk to the general public “remains low.” Those who work with animals or are otherwise exposed to them face a higher risk of infection.
Symptoms of HPAI in people include sore throat, fever, muscle aches, cough and eye infections.
The CDC today announced it has confirmed the first “severe” case of bird flu linked to the H5N1 virus in the country, and the patient has been hospitalized in Louisiana. This person was exposed to sick and dead birds in a backyard flock — the first bird flu case in the country to be linked to such a flock.
Since April, a total of 61 human cases of the bird flu have been reported in the United States, according to the agency.
See more in the DHS release below.
— With legislation legalizing medical marijuana last year failing to gain enough support, incoming Senate President Mary Felzkowski says Senate Republicans will work with their Assembly counterparts to try to reach a compromise.
A sticking point last year was a provision from Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, that would have restricted sales to state-run dispensaries.
“There was a lot of really good things in the bill that the Assembly put together last year,” Felzkowski, R-Tomahawk, told a WisPolitics virtual luncheon yesterday. “There was just kind of one … having state-run dispensaries that neither his caucus nor ours could get around, could get behind. So we’re hoping that Robin will be willing to remove that and we can do something else there and get it done this session.”
Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer said with more Republicans now in competitive seats due to redistricting, she’s hopeful they will put pressure on Vos to get a medical marijuana bill passed.
“(W)e have seen from referendums around the state and polling, of course, and conversations on the doors that medical marijuana is very popular,” said Neubauer, D-Racine. “And I really think the people of Wisconsin have made that very clear, and I hope that they’re going to be members of the Assembly Republican caucus that are going to their leadership and saying, ‘Listen, it’s time; We really need to figure out how to get this done.’”
Watch the video and see more luncheon coverage at WisPolitics.
— Former Gov. Tommy Thompson told reporters he supports Donald Trump’s nomination of Robert K. Kennedy Jr. to serve as the secretary of the federal agency the former guv led during George W. Bush’s first term.
Kennedy has received blowback over his nomination for Health and Human Services, particularly for his comments on vaccines. That includes Kennedy’s long-held claim that vaccines cause autism despite numerous studies that have shown no link. An advisor now helping Kennedy vet potential appointees for health positions at the agency filed a petition in 2022 to revoke approval for the polio vaccine.
Thompson yesterday said reporters are misreading Kennedy’s past comments while adding, “I’m hoping what he’s said is not true.”
He insisted the foundation of Kennedy’s position is that everything should be based on science. He also said the former presidential candidate wants to improve health in America, make food healthier, make sure all medicine is based on science and to give anyone looking to get approval for drugs “a fair shot,” saying it now takes too long to get something from the lab to the market.
“All good things,” Thompson said. “I’m in favor of all of those, and that’s why I support him.”
Thompson resigned as guv in early 2001 midway through his fourth term to become HHS secretary and served in the role until January 2005. He predicted the Senate would confirm all of Trump’s nominees with 53 members in the GOP caucus next year. He said Trump may lose a few Republicans on some nominations, but he wouldn’t lose more than three, which would allow Vance to cast the tie-breaking vote for confirmation.
See more.
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