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We are seeing an unexplained spike in influenza A viruses in waste water in California.  

Type A influenza viruses include H5N1 "Bird Flu", which has been found in a f%$# ton of cattle lately.

Normally, there is very little flu floating around at this time of the year. 

Not good:

An increase in flu viruses detected at wastewater treatment plants in California in recent weeks has sparked concern that the H5N1 bird flu may be spreading more rapidly than anticipated, potentially putting the state’s 1.7 million dairy cows at risk for infection.

Health officials have observed multiple spikes in influenza A viruses, which include the H5N1 avian flu strain that has killed millions of birds worldwide and infected dozens of dairy cow herds across nine U.S. states.

The Bay Area, in particular, is a hotspot for flu activity, according to data from approximately 700 sites published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly all monitored facilities in the region show moderate to high increases in influenza A viruses.

While the presence of bird flu has not been confirmed, it remains a possibility.

A spokesperson for the California Department of Public Health told the Chronicle that they are investigating the surge, which is “not following human influenza trends,” as it is not reflected in general population illness reports.

Normally, the circulation of influenza A — the type that more commonly causes flu in adults — diminishes significantly after the peak of the winter flu season. However, the current increase suggests otherwise.

H5N1 infections in humans yield a case fatality rate (CFR) of over 50%, though transmission is extremely difficult, and mild cases are missing from this number.

If the this virus enters an immune compromised person, a group which appears to include people who have had multiple Covid infections, and hangs around at a low level for a long time, there is a possibility that we could end up with something very nasty.