Traces of the avian influenza, or bird flu, have been detected in wastewater at the Goleta Sanitary District treatment plant.

The district was alerted to the presence of the virus, officially known as the H5N1 virus, on Nov. 19. According to district representatives, this is the first time that the virus has been detected at the plant.

The H5N1 virus has recently been found in other counties, including San Luis Obispo.

Traces of the virus were detected after testing by Cal-SuWers, a group that works under the California Department of Public Health.

The group regularly tests wastewater to monitor for different viruses and diseases so they can be detected before an outbreak occurs.

According to Dr. Henning Ansorg, the public health officer for the county of Santa Barbara, there are no cases of humans contracting the virus in the county.

Ansorg said that the county is not sure how the virus got into the wastewater. However, the most likely explanation is through animal sources, such as cows or chickens.

He continued by saying that state health officials are taking measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

“The California Department for Food and Agriculture is really on this. They’re testing and cattle is not allowed to cross state lines,” Ansorg said. “They’re very strict.”

The state has also provided safety equipment, such as face shields, to farmworkers who work with dairy or animals.

Ansorg also stated that the general public is not at a high risk of contracting the disease, since the most common way of getting it is through dairy or animal waste.  

The group most at risk of contracting the disease are farmworkers or people who work in dairy or slaughter facilities. Ansorg said the risk comes from dairy or animal fluids getting into the eyes or other areas.

At this point, Ansorg says the risk of human-to-human transmission is low, but the county is watching the situation closely.

“The risk to the general public is low,” he said. The risk to dairy workers is significant and they need to be aware of it, but the general public seems to be safe.”

One of the ways he said the public can protect itself is to avoid consuming unpasteurized dairy products, such a raw milk or cheese.

Residents with farms on their properties that contain cows or chickens should take precautions and wear safety gear, he added.

The county also listed precautions the public can take to avoid contracting the H5N1 virus:

• Avoid exposures to sick or dead animals, including wild birds, poultry, or other domesticated birds, and other wild or domesticated animals (including cows) if possible.

• Avoid exposures to animal feces, bedding (litter), unpasteurized (“raw”) milk, or materials that have been touched by, or are close to birds, or other animals with suspected or confirmed avian influenza A (H5N1), if possible.

• People should not drink raw milk. Pasteurization kills avian influenza A (H5N1) viruses, and pasteurized milk is safe to drink.

• People who have job-related contact with infected or potentially infected birds or other animals should be aware of the risk of exposure to avian influenza viruses and should take proper precautions. People should wear appropriate and recommended personal protective equipment when exposed to an infected or potentially infected animal(s).