Feb 17th, 2025
You may have been hearing buzz around the H5N1 Bird Flu (a.k.a. Avian Influenza) and we want to keep you informed.
✔ Cases of individuals with known exposure to dairy cattle and poultry have been reported in several states across the U.S.
✔ No person-to-person spread has yet been detected. All cases but one have had very mild symptoms.
As with any developing health-related issue, the situation on the ground can evolve quickly. The current outbreak is still considered an animal health issue at this time, primarily affecting wild birds, poultry, and some mammals (e.g. cattle)—ideally, it's contained there.
Q&A
What is it and what are its symptoms?
H5N1 bird flu is a viral disease that primarily infects poultry (e.g., chickens, turkey, ducks) and other wild birds. It's highly contagious in bird populations and has resulted in the deaths of millions of birds in the U.S. The outbreak has spread to other animals too, like cattle and pigs.
Symptoms are similar to a seasonal flu virus and can include fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches, nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, eye infections, difficulty breathing, pneumonia, and severe respiratory disease. Monitor for these symptoms particularly if you've had close contact with infected birds or animals, or their contaminated environments.
How does it spread and what can I do to protect myself?
 |
H5 bird flu spreads to humans when enough virus gets into a person’s eyes, nose, or mouth or is inhaled from an infected bird or animal. Currently, there is no evidence of sustained person-to-person spread of H5 bird flu.
These basic precautions are good to consider:
- Avoid contact with poultry, wild birds, and other animals that appear ill or are dead, as well as contact with surfaces that may have been contaminated with their feces.
- Avoid uncooked or undercooked poultry, meat, and eggs.
- Drink pasteurized milk that has been treated to kill harmful bacteria.
- Fully cook poultry, meat, and eggs to the right internal temperature to kill bacteria and viruses, including H5 viruses.
- Wash your hands and surfaces thoroughly before and after handling poultry, meat, and eggs.
If you work with birds and referenced animals and/or in farm or backyard flock environments, please see the helpful guide below.
If it impacts milk and beef supplies, are those foods still safe to consume?
Commercial milk supply of pasteurized milk is safe for consumption. The pasteurization process inactivates harmful bacteria and viruses. To date, traces of H5N1 detected in milk samples have not been found to be live or infectious virus.
To keep the beef supply safe, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has conducted testing of ground beef samples from retail outlets in states where cows have tested positive for the virus. To date, no H5 virus has been found in any of the tested samples.
This information is based on what is known to date and that health guidance could change as more information becomes available.
Farms & Backyard Flocks
Additional guidance for agricultural workers
Although H5N1 risk is currently low for humans, we know that it is not for birds and other animals. People with close and/or sustained unprotected contact with infected birds or animals or their contaminated environments are at a greater risk of infection.
People who work with or have recreational exposures to infected animal populations, maintain backyard birds/poultry, and engage in hunting are urged to take additional protections summarized in the H5N1 Bird Flu Safety guide below.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Public Health Communications Collaborative
PDFs
