SUNY Downstate DrPH Candidate Publishes Groundbreaking Study On Avian Flu Outbreaks And Transmission Risks

By Office of Communications & Marketing | Mar 21, 2025

New Study Reveals Key Insights into HPAI Outbreak Data Amid Growing Public Health Risks

Brooklyn, NY— As avian flu outbreaks escalate, a groundbreaking study by SUNY Downstate DrPH candidate Christopher Jimenez sheds new light on how to track and assess transmission risks in Iowa’s poultry farms—one of the nation’s hardest-hit outbreak regions.

The study, “Exploring Methods to Evaluate HPAI Transmission Risk in Iowa During Peak HPAI Incidence, February 2022–December 2023,” appears in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH) as part of the Special Issue One Health Including and Beyond Zoonoses.

At a time when Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) cases are on the rise in both livestock and humans, Jimenez’s research introduces innovative methodologies for outbreak data sourcing and analysis, offering critical insights into disease transmission risks, biosecurity strategies, and public health preparedness.

"The rise in HPAI cases underscores the urgent need for more precise and reliable outbreak tracking methods," said Christopher Jimenez, DrPH candidate at SUNY Downstate and co-author on this piece. "This research provides a framework for improving data collection and risk assessment, equipping public health officials and policymakers with better tools to contain outbreaks and mitigate their impact. By enhancing surveillance and biosecurity strategies, we can better protect both animal and human populations from future epidemic threats."

Surges in HPAI outbreaks at poultry farms have led to economic losses, supply chain disruptions, and concerns over zoonotic spillover into humans. Jimenez’s research provides a first-of-its-kind approach to evaluating transmission risks, focusing on data sourcing challenges, environmental factors, and biosecurity lapses that worsen the spread of the virus. The study identifies critical gaps in surveillance methods and offers more accurate ways to assess outbreak patterns, to advance stronger public health interventions and more effective containment strategies.

“As we see a rise in HPAI cases with far-reaching public health and economic implications, this research provides a comprehensive assessment of essential tools for evaluating transmission risks in the U.S.,” said Lori A. Hoepner, DrPH, MPH, Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences at Downstate’s School of Public Health and co-Chair of the SUNY Interprofessional Education (IPE) Consortium, who is a co-author on this piece.

As one of the largest poultry-producing states, Iowa is a focal point for HPAI outbreaks, with millions of birds discarded to prevent further spread. The study’s findings emphasize the urgent need for improved outbreak data collection and real-time risk assessments to better protect the food supply, mitigate economic fallout, and reduce potential risks to human health.

This study strengthens the One Health approach, recognizing the interconnectedness of animal, environmental, and human health. The methods outlined in the research can be adapted for use in other high-risk agricultural regions, helping policymakers and scientists better predict and control future outbreaks.

The full study is available here.

About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University

Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn is one of four academic medical centers (AMCs) in The State University of New York (SUNY) 64-campus system and the only SUNY AMC in New York City dedicated to health education, research, and patient care for the borough’s 2.7 million residents. Its flagship hospital, University Hospital at Downstate (UHD), is a teaching hospital and benefits from the expertise of Downstate’s exceptional medical school and world-class academic center research facilities. With a staff of over 800 physicians representing 53 specialties and subspecialties, Downstate offers comprehensive healthcare services to the community.

UHD provides high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis for kidney diseases and is the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn. Beyond its clinical expertise, Downstate houses a range of esteemed educational institutions, including its College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Public Health. Downstate fosters innovation through its multifaceted biotechnology initiative, the Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT, which support early-stage and more mature biotech companies.

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