Experts are anxious that bird flu could become airborne — and jump-start another pandemic
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Experts are anxious that bird flu could become airborne — and jump-start another pandemic

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Could H5N1 bird flu become airborne and spread between people? Previous research found that an H5N1 flu virus from an infected farm worker could transmit through airborne droplets and was lethal in mice and ferrets. Grocery stores across the nation are running short on eggs amid the spread of H5N1 bird flu While bird flu mainly spreads from oral-to-fecal routes in birds, University of Florida microbiologist Dr. John Lednicky said that between mammals is different. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends standard, contact, and airborne precautions for patients who have illness consistent with influenza who have had recent exposure to birds or other animals potentially infected with bird flu.

Health Birds Air Disease Control Bird Flu Virus Flu Spread Health Check H5N1 Bird Flu H5N1 Bird Airborne  air  jumpstart  flu  birds  spread  health  transmit  anxious  experts  pandemic  h5n1  bird  airborne  virus

History of this topic

Bird flu alert in US: H7N9 strain detected in poultry farm for first time since 2017
5 days, 19 hours ago

Bird flu alert in US: H7N9 strain detected in poultry farm for first time since 2017

Live Mint  

The United States reported the first outbreak of the deadly H7N9 bird flu on a poultry farm since 2017, as the country continues to grapple with another bird flu strain that has infected humans and caused egg prices to hit record highs. The spread of avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, has ravaged flocks around the world, disrupting supply and …

Egg shortages to continue as bird flu leads to loss of 10 per cent of Australian laying hens
3 weeks, 3 days ago

Egg shortages to continue as bird flu leads to loss of 10 per cent of Australian laying hens

ABC  

Australia has lost more than 10 per cent of its laying hens to bird flu in the last year and there are fears egg shortages will continue as the sector tries to bounce back. Authorities have culled 2.4 million birds to try and control two large avian influenza outbreaks that have resulted in intermittent but ongoing egg shortages. Cattle in …

Killing 166 million birds hasn’t helped poultry farmers stop H5N1. Is there a better way?
3 weeks, 4 days ago

Killing 166 million birds hasn’t helped poultry farmers stop H5N1. Is there a better way?

LA Times  

When the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus made its first appearance at a U.S. poultry farm in February 2022, roughly 29,000 turkeys at an Indiana facility were sacrificed in an attempt to avert a larger outbreak. “People talk about common-sense solutions to bird flu,” said Dr. Maurice Pitesky, a veterinarian and commercial poultry expert at UC Davis. “There’s a reason …

As egg prices soar, Trump administration targets California law and H5N1 bird flu
3 weeks, 4 days ago

As egg prices soar, Trump administration targets California law and H5N1 bird flu

LA Times  

As egg prices continue to skyrocket due to continuing outbreaks of H5N1 bird flu, the U.S. secretary of Agriculture has announced a multipronged strategy to fight the disease — including an effort to dismantle a popular animal welfare law California voters approved in 2018. In order to “restore stability to the egg market over the next three to six months,” …

US bird flu outbreak concerns continue as health agencies face cuts and information delays
3 weeks, 6 days ago

US bird flu outbreak concerns continue as health agencies face cuts and information delays

ABC  

An ongoing avian influenza outbreak in the US shows no signs of abating, as thousands of staff at the nation's leading health and science agencies have been cut. Prior to Mr Trump's inauguration, Dr Adalja participated in calls every few weeks with scientific experts at the CDC and USDA to discuss the bird flu outbreak. Australia's surveillance of bird flu …

People can spread bird flu to their cats, U.S. study suggests
1 month ago

People can spread bird flu to their cats, U.S. study suggests

Raw Story  

by Issam AHMED A study published Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that people can transmit bird flu to their domestic cats, with fatal consequences. Both case studies involved pet owners who worked at or near dairy cattle farms affected by bird flu, and both resulted in deaths of infected felines. The owner also experienced …

H5N1 bird flu found in four Southern California rats
1 month ago

H5N1 bird flu found in four Southern California rats

LA Times  

A worker at a fresh poultry market carries a bag of chicken as fresh poultry is seen in buckets awaiting purchase in El Monte, Californiaon December 19, 2024. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has added black rats to the growing list of mammals that have been infected by H5N1 bird flu. Climate & Environment Dairy workers may have given bird …

Senators from both parties demand Trump administration take action against bird flu: ‘A new urgency is required’
1 month ago

Senators from both parties demand Trump administration take action against bird flu: ‘A new urgency is required’

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery Groups of bipartisan senators are writing to newly-confirmed Agriculture Secretary Brooke …

New study warns hundreds could be infected with H5N1 bird flu without symptoms: Are you at risk?
1 month ago

New study warns hundreds could be infected with H5N1 bird flu without symptoms: Are you at risk?

Hindustan Times  

A new study shows that bird flu has silently spread from animals to some veterinarians. In those studies, several of the infected workers remembered having symptoms of H5N1 bird flu, while none of the veterinarians in the new paper recalled any such symptoms. The new study is more evidence that the official US tally of confirmed human bird flu infections …

Trump administration scrambles to rehire 'accidentally' fired bird flu experts: report
Trending News
1 month ago

Trump administration scrambles to rehire 'accidentally' fired bird flu experts: report

Raw Story  

The Department of Agriculture is quickly flailing to rehire the bird flu experts they just "accidentally" fired, NBC News reported on Tuesday. "USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service frontline positions are considered public safety positions, and we are continuing to hire the workforce necessary to ensure the safety and adequate supply of food to fulfill our statutory mission." President Donald …

As egg prices soar, Trump administration plans new strategy to fight bird flu
1 month ago

As egg prices soar, Trump administration plans new strategy to fight bird flu

Associated Press  

MINNEAPOLIS — With egg prices soaring, the Trump administration is planning a new strategy for fighting bird flu that stresses vaccinations and tighter biosecurity instead of killing off millions of chickens when the disease strikes a flock. The federal government will seek “better ways, with biosecurity and medication and so on” rather than the current standard practice of destroying all …

Experts Warn of Bird Flu Spreading to Humans
Trending News
1 month, 1 week ago

Experts Warn of Bird Flu Spreading to Humans

Deccan Chronicle  

Hyderabad: With the avian flu spreading among dairy animals and poultry, there is an emerging concern about whether the disease can also spread to humans. Although direct human infections with 'highly pathogenic Avian influenza’ HPAI A virus are rare, unprotected exposure to infected animals or contaminated environments significantly increases the risk of infection. As per the recent World Health Organisation …

Urgent CDC data and analyses on influenza and bird flu go missing as outbreaks escalate
1 month, 1 week ago

Urgent CDC data and analyses on influenza and bird flu go missing as outbreaks escalate

CNN  

KFF Health News — Sonya Stokes, an emergency room physician in the San Francisco Bay Area, braces herself for a daily deluge of patients sick with coughs, soreness, fevers, vomiting, and other flu-like symptoms. “Delays in data create dangerous situations on the front line.” Although the CDC’s flu dashboard shows a surge of influenza, it doesn’t include all data needed …

Some people didn’t know they had a bird flu infection, study of veterinarians suggests
1 month, 1 week ago

Some people didn’t know they had a bird flu infection, study of veterinarians suggests

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — A new study shows that bird flu has silently spread from animals to some veterinarians. In those studies, several of the infected workers remembered having symptoms of H5N1 bird flu, while none of the veterinarians in the new paper recalled any such symptoms. The new study is more evidence that the official U.S. tally of confirmed human …

GREG HERBRUCK: I'm a farmer who was forced to kill 6.5 million hens. Here's the terrifying truth of America's egg shortage... and who's REALLY to blame
1 month, 1 week ago

GREG HERBRUCK: I'm a farmer who was forced to kill 6.5 million hens. Here's the terrifying truth of America's egg shortage... and who's REALLY to blame

Daily Mail  

America's food supply is under attack. Our Herbruck's farms raise nearly 11 million birds in operations across Michigan, Indiana and Pennsylvania. Since 2022, 153 million commercial, backyard and wild birds across 48 states have been infected by H5N1 – a novel strain of bird flu. I even liken this avian flu scourge to a terrorist attack because it undermines one …

After delay, CDC releases data signaling bird flu spread undetected in cows and people
1 month, 1 week ago

After delay, CDC releases data signaling bird flu spread undetected in cows and people

NPR  

After delay, CDC releases data signaling bird flu spread undetected in cows and people toggle caption U.S. Department of Agriculture/AP The first study on the H5N1 bird flu outbreak from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to make it to publication under the Trump administration came out Thursday. "It means our surveillance is inadequate," says Lauren Sauer, a professor …

Bird flu infections went undetected in veterinarians, CDC study shows
1 month, 1 week ago

Bird flu infections went undetected in veterinarians, CDC study shows

CNN  

CNN — Blood testing of large-animal veterinarians suggests that H5N1 bird flu has sp The study comes as Ohio announced its first human case of H5N1 in a poultry worker who was hospitalized with respiratory symptoms but has since recovered. Blood tests in veterinarians For the research, called a seroprevalence study because it looks for evidence of infections in the …

New H5N1 bird flu variant found in Nevada dairy worker as new data shows changes in virus
1 month, 2 weeks ago

New H5N1 bird flu variant found in Nevada dairy worker as new data shows changes in virus

LA Times  

A dairy worker in Nevada may have tested positive for a strain of H5N1 bird flu known to have killed one person and severely sickened another. Last week, federal health officials announced that at least four dairy herds in Nevada had been infected by a strain of the H5N1 bird flu that is circulating in wild birds and that led …

Egg farmers warn they’re losing battle against bird flu
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Egg farmers warn they’re losing battle against bird flu

Raw Story  

Greg Herbruck knew 6.5 million of his birds needed to die, and fast. “The one we’re battling today is unique,” said David Swayne, former director of the Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory at the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service and a leading national expert in avian influenza. Even “the best biosecurity in the world” hasn’t been enough to save large commercial farms …

Your questions about bird flu answered by experts
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Your questions about bird flu answered by experts

Salon  

The increasing threat of bird flu is becoming too big to ignore as it continues to spread to an unprecedented number of species around the world, affecting egg prices as huge swaths of poultry are infected and killed with the virus. Experts maintain that the risk of infection is low, although the Louisiana patient, an older individual with underlying health …

It's like 'dead birds flying': How bird flu is spreading in the wild
1 month, 2 weeks ago

It's like 'dead birds flying': How bird flu is spreading in the wild

NPR  

It's like 'dead birds flying': How bird flu is spreading in the wild toggle caption Ralph Venstreets/University of California, Davis A little over a year ago, Marcela Uhart was walking on the beach in Punta Delgada, Argentina. "We've gone from this concept of dead birds don't fly to this new virus that seems to be a bit more like dead …

Live poultry markets ordered shut in New York City due to bird flu outbreak
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Live poultry markets ordered shut in New York City due to bird flu outbreak

LA Times  

All live poultry markets in New York City and some of its suburbs were ordered Friday to close for a week after the detection of seven cases of avian flu, which has also hit farms nationwide, led to the slaughter of millions of birds and driven up egg prices. The order came after birds infected with the virus were found …

Second type of bird flu detected in US dairy cows
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Second type of bird flu detected in US dairy cows

Associated Press  

Dairy cattle in Nevada have been infected with a new type of bird flu that’s different from the version that has spread in U.S. herds since last year, Agriculture Department officials said Wednesday. A version of the H5N1 bird flu virus known as B3.13 was confirmed in March after being introduced to cattle in late 2023, scientists said. “Now we …

Trump administration’s communication freeze restricted access to critical bird flu information
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Trump administration’s communication freeze restricted access to critical bird flu information

Salon  

For the last four years, the H5N1 virus, also known as bird flu, has been ravaging wild bird populations, spilling over into other species and infecting poultry and dairy cows. Researchers and public health officials have been putting forth efforts to better understand how bird flu is passed between species to keep it from mutating into something that could become …

On the frontline against bird flu, egg farmers fear they're losing the battle
1 month, 3 weeks ago

On the frontline against bird flu, egg farmers fear they're losing the battle

NPR  

On the frontline against bird flu, egg farmers fear they're losing the battle toggle caption Terry Chea/AP Greg Herbruck knew 6.5 million of his birds needed to die, and fast. Sponsor Message "The last six months have accelerated my concern, which was already high," said Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, an infectious diseases physician and the founding director of Boston University's Center …

Nation’s second-largest egg producer hit by bird flu as virus spreads across the US
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Nation’s second-largest egg producer hit by bird flu as virus spreads across the US

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The egg farm was impacted by bird flu “Unfortunately, we have been previously affected by …

Trump administration’s halt of CDC’s weekly scientific report stalls bird flu studies
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Trump administration’s halt of CDC’s weekly scientific report stalls bird flu studies

Salon  

The Trump administration has intervened in the release of important studies on the bird flu, as an outbreak escalates across the United States. “This idea that science cannot continue until there’s a political lens over it is unprecedented,” said Anne Schuchat, a former principal deputy director at the CDC. “I hope it’s going to be very short-lived, but if it’s …

Top doctor sounds alarm over new pandemic virus mutation in bird flu
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Top doctor sounds alarm over new pandemic virus mutation in bird flu

Daily Mail  

Scientists are raising the alarm over a potential new pandemic virus that could be emerging in California. This week, officials reported the first outbreak of a rare but deadly H5N9 strain of bird flu on a duck farm in Merced County, just outside the Bay Area. But tests showed that the birds had also been infected with H5N1, the strain …

For the first time, H5N9 strain of bird flu detected in U.S. poultry
1 month, 3 weeks ago

For the first time, H5N9 strain of bird flu detected in U.S. poultry

Salon  

On Monday, the U.S. reported an outbreak of bird flu called H5N9 that is different from the H5N1 strain that is currently surging across the country. The outbreak occurred in a flock of commercial ducks in California, the epicenter of the bird flu crisis, according to a report from the World Organisation for Animal Health. Health officials found H5N9 on …

A new strain of bird flu is found on a California duck farm
1 month, 3 weeks ago

A new strain of bird flu is found on a California duck farm

LA Times  

A duck hunts near June Lake in October. A new strain of bird flu — H5N9 — has been detected in California’s Merced County at a commercial duck operation. “This case is not unexpected or alarming,” said Annette Jones, California state veterinarian, who said the California Department of Food and Agriculture is “always on alert for any H5 virus.” The …

New strain of bird flu confirmed in US; experts concerned that strain could mutate further
1 month, 3 weeks ago

New strain of bird flu confirmed in US; experts concerned that strain could mutate further

New Indian Express  

PARIS: A new strain of bird flu has been confirmed at a duck farm in California, the first time the variant has been discovered in poultry in the United States, an international agency said. A report by the World Organisation for Animal Health, which AFP saw on Tuesday, said "highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N9" had been confirmed in a commercial …

First outbreak of rare H5N9 bird flu reported on California duck farm as cases of H5N1 continue to rise
1 month, 3 weeks ago

First outbreak of rare H5N9 bird flu reported on California duck farm as cases of H5N1 continue to rise

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The first confirmed case of the rare H5N9 bird flu has …

Bird flu outbreaks close parks and force zoos to implement safety measures
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Bird flu outbreaks close parks and force zoos to implement safety measures

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy While the Trump administration has halted government health agency communications with …

Under Trump, we could be flying blind when it comes to bird flu, other infectious diseases
2 months ago

Under Trump, we could be flying blind when it comes to bird flu, other infectious diseases

LA Times  

The United States is ground zero for the H5N1 bird flu. However, a note from a Human Services spokesman to a Times reporter on a different topic noted that the agency “issued a pause on mass communications and public appearances that are not directly related to emergencies or critical to preserving health.” The spokesman said the pause was temporary and …

What to know about protecting your cat from bird flu
2 months ago

What to know about protecting your cat from bird flu

NPR  

What to know about protecting your cat from bird flu toggle caption eclipse_images/iStockphoto/Getty Images Your orange tabby might be a vicious mouser. Also last month, Los Angeles County's public health department confirmed two cats tested positive for bird flu after drinking raw milk from the Raw Farm dairy in California's Central Valley. If a cat does seem sick, Sykes says …

Bird flu mutating very fast: Health experts warn after first human death in US
2 months ago

Bird flu mutating very fast: Health experts warn after first human death in US

India Today  

Scientists have raised alarm bells after the first H5N1 death in the US was reported in January 2025, following exposure to infected chickens. Researchers have identified nine mutations in a bird flu strain in another infected person in Texas, US. After conducting experiments on mice, they revealed that the new strain has become quite adept at replicating in human cells, …

CDC urges doctors to speed subtyping of patients hospitalized with the flu to better track H5N1 infections
2 months, 1 week ago

CDC urges doctors to speed subtyping of patients hospitalized with the flu to better track H5N1 infections

CNN  

CNN — The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging hospitals to accelerate advanced testing of people they suspect may have bird flu. Although there is no human-to-human transmission of bird flu in the US and the risk to the general public remains low, there’s a lot of H5N1 virus circulating in animals, as well as usual seasonal …

Bird flu death: Here's what you need to know about H5N1 virus
2 months, 1 week ago

Bird flu death: Here's what you need to know about H5N1 virus

India TV News  

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that a person has died of H5N1 bird flu in the United States. Bird flu infection doesn't spread from one person to the other and it spreads from animals and birds to humans. H5N1 bird flu is an infection that spreads in birds and other animals. Symptoms of bird flu Pink eye …

A killer fludemic 30 times more deadly than Covid is already here... but our leaders have their heads in the sand and we are woefully unprepared: GEOFFREY LEAN
2 months, 1 week ago

A killer fludemic 30 times more deadly than Covid is already here... but our leaders have their heads in the sand and we are woefully unprepared: GEOFFREY LEAN

Daily Mail  

An elderly man in the US state of Louisiana died on Monday of bird flu contracted from exposure to sick and dead chickens in his backyard flock, becoming the country’s first fatality from the disease. At least Britain bought over five million doses of the bird flu vaccine last month, but that is far from enough, while the Covid inquiry …

Is bird flu the next pandemic? What to know after the first H5N1 death in the US
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Is bird flu the next pandemic? What to know after the first H5N1 death in the US

CNN  

CNN — With reports of the first human death from bird flu in the US, some Americans are feeling an uncomfortable flashback to the early days of Covid-19, when infectious disease experts were talking about a new virus that was sending people to the hospital with respiratory infections. Scientists also know a lot more about H5N1 bird flu than they …

The First US Bird Flu Death Is a Stark Warning
55 years, 2 months ago

The First US Bird Flu Death Is a Stark Warning

Wired  

Yesterday, health officials in Louisiana announced that a patient who was hospitalized with severe bird flu in December has died. A total of 66 people in the US tested positive for bird flu in 2024, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “The more virus there is in our environment, the more chances there are for it to …

First Bird Flu Death In US: 66-Yr-Old Dies Of H5N1 Virus As US Gears Up To Contain Spread
2 months, 2 weeks ago

First Bird Flu Death In US: 66-Yr-Old Dies Of H5N1 Virus As US Gears Up To Contain Spread

ABP News  

Bird Flu: A US man aged 66 has died after battling a bird flu infection for almost three weeks, the country’s apex health body, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has reported. The US health authority states that while the death from H5N1 bird flu is tragic, it is not unexpected because of the known potential for infection with …

US records its first human death from bird flu
Trending News
2 months, 2 weeks ago

US records its first human death from bird flu

Live Mint  

The first human death linked to bird flu has been reported in the United States, health authorities in Louisiana announced Monday, while noting the patient had underlying medical conditions. ‘Risk of Human-to-Human Transmission Low’ The announcement in mid-December of the patient being in “critical condition” sparked alarm that the United States could see an outbreak of a possible bird flu …

US records its first human death from bird flu
2 months, 2 weeks ago

US records its first human death from bird flu

Deccan Chronicle  

Louisiana health authorities on Monday reported the first human death in the United States linked to bird flu, while noting the patient had underlying medical conditions and that general risks to the public remained "low. "While the current public health risk for the general public remains low, people who work with birds, poultry or cows, or have recreational exposure to …

US reports first bird flu-related human death in Louisiana, health authorities issue statement
2 months, 2 weeks ago

US reports first bird flu-related human death in Louisiana, health authorities issue statement

India TV News  

Bird flu in US: The United States has recorded its first human fatality linked to bird flu, as confirmed by Louisiana's Department of Health. In an official statement, the Louisiana Department of Health stated the patient, who had been hospitalised after contracting H5N1 from exposure to a combination of a non-commercial backyard flock and wild birds, has passed away. The …

Louisiana person is the first US bird flu death, health officials say
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Louisiana person is the first US bird flu death, health officials say

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The first U.S. bird …

US suffers first H5N1 bird flu death: Patient in Louisiana dies from virus dubbed 'biggest pandemic threat'
2 months, 2 weeks ago

US suffers first H5N1 bird flu death: Patient in Louisiana dies from virus dubbed 'biggest pandemic threat'

Daily Mail  

The first US bird flu death has been reported as officials confirmed Monday a person in Louisiana who had been hospitalized with severe respiratory symptoms died. Since March, 66 confirmed bird flu infections have been reported in the US, but previous illnesses have been mild and most have been detected among farmworkers exposed to sick poultry or dairy cows. The …

H5N1 Kills 3 Tigers, 1 Leopard at Nagpur Animal Rescue Centre. Bird Flu Red Alert Across Maharashtra Zoos
2 months, 2 weeks ago

H5N1 Kills 3 Tigers, 1 Leopard at Nagpur Animal Rescue Centre. Bird Flu Red Alert Across Maharashtra Zoos

ABP News  

Bird Flu: The wildlife authorities in Maharashtra have issued a state-wide red alert as three tigers and a sub-adult leopard have died after contracting the highly pathogenic avian flu H5N1 virus at Gorewada Rescue Centre in Nagpur. Bird flu, also known as avian influenza, is a highly contagious viral disease that primarily affects poultry and wild birds, but can occasionally …

‘Worrisome’ mutations found in H5N1 bird flu virus isolated from Canadian teenager
2 months, 3 weeks ago

‘Worrisome’ mutations found in H5N1 bird flu virus isolated from Canadian teenager

LA Times  

A California Department of Food and Agriculture technician perform tests on chickens for bird flu in 2006 at the Best Live Poultry & Fish store in Sylmar. The fate of a Canadian teenager who was infected with H5N1 bird flu in early November, and subsequently admitted to an intensive care unit, has finally been revealed: She has fully recovered. But …

Discover Related