Bird Flu Tracker Avian Influenza A H5N1

Bird Flu Update: US Poultry Hits Hard as Human Cases Linger

In the United States, highly pathogenic avian influenza continues to ravage poultry operations, with the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service reporting major commercial outbreaks in Delaware and Georgia this week. A Kent County, Delaware, broiler farm lost 147,900 birds, while Walker County, Georgia, saw 71,300 affected at a broiler breeder facility, according to CIDRAP. Kansas is enduring its worst bird flu outbreak since 2023, impacting over 10 counties and forcing quarantines in three, the Kansas State Collegian reports. Over the past 40 days, 70 flocks nationwide confirmed HPAI, affecting 1.17 million birds, adding to 185 million since 2022.

The CDC's FluSurv-NET data through January 10 shows influenza hospitalizations dropping, with a weekly rate of 5.6 per 100,000, down from 11.6, though cumulative rates remain high at 50.4 per 100,000, second only to past peaks. NHSN reports 27,428 flu-related hospital admissions in week 1, with rates decreasing across all ages and regions. Elderly over 65 face the highest risks at 28.7 per 100,000.

Human cases persist: Since 2024, over 70 H5N1 infections confirmed, including one death in Louisiana in early 2025, per AAP Pediatrics and UNMC Transmission. California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency late last year amid dairy and raw milk detections.

Globally, bird flu struck endangered whooping cranes in Saskatchewan, Canada, with two deaths confirmed last October, a first for the species, CKOM reports. Dozens of wild duck detections signal ongoing spread.

Purdue Extension urges biosecurity amid Indiana's past outbreaks costing over $1.4 billion nationally.

Experts like Purdue's Darrin Karcher warn, "We weathered the first storm, but we're not out of this yet."

Thank you for tuning in. Come back next week for more. This has been a Quiet Please production. For me, check out Quiet Please Dot A I.

For more http://www.quietplease.ai

Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta

This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

# Bird Flu Update

The United States is facing an intensifying avian influenza crisis as the outbreak continues to devastate poultry operations nationwide. According to the CDC's Weekly US Influenza Surveillance Report, over seventy thousand birds have been impacted across multiple states at the beginning of 2026, with the situation showing no signs of improvement.

The Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service reported significant commercial poultry outbreaks this week. A broiler operation in Kent County, Delaware, suffered the largest detection with nearly one hundred forty-eight thousand birds affected. In Georgia, a commercial broiler breeder facility in Walker County saw over seventy-one thousand birds impacted. Additional commercial operations were hit hard, including nine thousand turkey breeder hens in Minnesota.

Over the past forty days alone, authorities have confirmed seventy flocks with highly pathogenic avian influenza, comprising seventeen commercial operations and fifty-three backyard facilities. The cumulative toll since the outbreak began in February twenty twenty-two now exceeds one hundred eighty-five million birds across more than two thousand flocks.

The egg industry has absorbed the brunt of these losses, representing seventy-five percent of all affected animals, according to analysis from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Turkey operations account for approximately eleven percent of losses, while meat chicken producers represent eight percent. Experts warn that the virus is expected to kill millions of additional animals this winter.

The situation extends beyond commercial operations. The USDA recorded eighty detections in wild birds this week, with over sixty involving wild and hunter-harvested mallards. Additional detections included ducks in Maine, geese in Nebraska, and a bald eagle in Florida.

According to the University of Nebraska Medical Center's analysis of Department of Agriculture data, the nation has gained almost no ground since the outbreak's inception in twenty twenty-two. January twenty twenty-five marked the worst month on record, and twenty twenty-five proved a worse year overall than twenty twenty-four, which was worse than twenty twenty-three. Currently, twenty-five states report cases within the past month.

Experts emphasize that most birds have not died from the flu itself. Rather, they have been culled preemptively as federal policy mandates the killing of animals housed near infected flocks as a containment measure.

The ongoing crisis poses one of the most serious threats to American agriculture this century, yet cheaper egg prices have somewhat muted public discussion surrounding the outbreak.

Thank you for tuning in. Please join us next week for more updates on this developing situation. This has been a Quiet Please production. For more, check out quietplease.ai.

For more http://www.quietplease.ai

Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta

This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

Bird flu continues to ravage U.S. poultry operations with no signs of abatement. According to a STAT News analysis published January 14, the H5N1 outbreak since 2022 has claimed nearly 185 million birds, mostly culled preemptively, equivalent to half the U.S. population if they were people. Cases surged in 25 states last month after a summer lull, with January 2025 marking the worst month on record and 2025 worse than 2024.

USDA APHIS reports major commercial outbreaks in the last 40 days affecting 1.17 million birds across 70 flocks, including 17 commercial ones. Highlights include 147,900 broilers in Kent County, Delaware; 71,300 at a broiler breeder facility in Walker County, Georgia; and 9,000 turkey breeder hens in Meeker County, Minnesota. Smaller hits struck Colorado, Kansas, and Oregon. Since February 2022, over 185 million birds in 2,022 flocks have been impacted. Wild bird detections, especially in mallards, numbered 80 nationwide this week, signaling endemic spread.

The egg industry bears 75% of losses, driving up consumer costs by $14.5 billion in one year alone, per STAT. Taxpayers have footed $1.8 billion in USDA indemnifications over three years. Experts like veterinary scientists Ellen P. Carlin and Gwendolen Reyes-Illg argue in STAT that available USDA-licensed vaccines could slash outbreaks, as seen in France with 99% reduction in ducks, but Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins deems them off the table over trade concerns, despite a draft national strategy.

Human risk remains low. The CDC's FluView for the week ending January 10 reports no new avian H5N1 infections in people and no person-to-person spread. Seasonal flu dominates, with hospitalizations dropping slightly but still high.

Calls grow for vaccination from bipartisan lawmakers like Sen. Mike Rounds and trade groups, amid warnings of pandemic potential.

Thank you for tuning in. Come back next week for more. This has been a Quiet Please production, and for me check out Quiet Please Dot A I.

For more http://www.quietplease.ai

Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta

This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

Bird flu continues to devastate American agriculture as the H5N1 outbreak shows no signs of slowing. According to STAT News analysis of Department of Agriculture data, the United States has gained almost no ground since the outbreak began in 2022, with 2025 proving worse than 2024, which was worse than 2023. January 2025 was the worst month on record.

Since 2022, the outbreak has resulted in the loss of nearly 185 million birds raised for food. The egg industry has borne the brunt, representing 75 percent of lost animals, while turkeys account for about 11 percent and meat chickens 8 percent. Most animals have not died from the flu itself but have been killed preemptively as part of federal policy when housed near infected flocks.

The current situation remains dire heading into winter. Farm Progress reports that bird flu has spread across 11 states since the end of December, with 25 states experiencing cases in the last month. The CDC notes that while the current public health risk to Americans remains low, H5 bird flu is widespread in wild birds worldwide and is causing outbreaks in poultry and dairy cattle, with sporadic human cases appearing among dairy and poultry workers. To date, person-to-person transmission has not been identified in the United States.

The economic toll on consumers has been staggering. In one year of the outbreak, consumers spent 14.5 billion dollars more on eggs due to supply reduction. Taxpayers have also borne significant costs, with the USDA spending 1.8 billion dollars on response in the first three years, mostly through indemnification payments to farmers.

Agriculture experts and lawmakers have urged the government to pursue vaccination as a solution. According to STAT News reporting, the USDA has licensed at least eight vaccines and has poured money into bird flu vaccine development for years. France reduced its outbreak size by up to 99 percent when it vaccinated ducks. However, the official USDA policy remains limited to biosecurity measures and mass killing, with Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins stating that vaccines are off the table, citing concerns about trade barriers with international partners.

Multiple bipartisan congressional members, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, have publicly urged the administration to pursue a targeted vaccination strategy. Major farming trade groups agree on the need for vaccination. The USDA has announced a draft national vaccination strategy, though its future remains unclear.

Thank you for tuning in to this update on bird flu. Be sure to come back next week for more news and developments. This has been a Quiet Please production. For more information, check out Quiet Please Dot A I.

For more http://www.quietplease.ai

Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta

This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

# Bird Flu Update: Global Threat Intensifies as H5N1 Spreads Unchecked

Scientists are sounding the alarm about bird flu as the H5N1 virus continues its relentless spread across the globe. According to the World Health Organization, there have been 992 human infections with avian influenza since 2003, with nearly 48 percent proving fatal. The situation has grown increasingly dire since the virus was first detected in 2020.

Dr. Ed Hutchinson, a professor of molecular and cellular virology at the University of Glasgow, told BBC Science Focus that the virus is now "completely out of control" as a disease of wild animals. He explained there is no feasible containment method other than watching it infect huge populations of animals as it rages around the world.

The scale of the outbreak is staggering. Over 285 million birds have been affected in the United States alone since February 2022. More alarming is the virus's ability to jump species barriers. In 2024, H5N1 was discovered in dairy cattle for the first time, an development no one anticipated. The CDC reports that 71 cases of human transmission from poultry or cattle have occurred in the U.S., resulting in two deaths.

What makes this particularly concerning is the virus's genetic makeup. Researchers from Cambridge and Glasgow universities discovered that bird flu viruses are resistant to fever, meaning that human body temperature increases during illness may not provide protection. This is due to a specific viral gene that allows the virus to thrive at higher temperatures similar to birds' body temperatures.

Globally, the current strain, known as clade 2.3.4.4b, evolved between 2018 and 2020 and has spread worldwide by 2021 through 2023. Scientists warn the virus is just one mutation away from sustained human-to-human transmission, which could spark a pandemic.

In December, the National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed a new spillover event of H5N1 into dairy cattle, genotype D1.1, indicating the virus continues to evolve and jump between species. The Global Virus Network urged countries in April 2025 to improve surveillance and implement biosecurity measures to prepare for potential human-to-human transmission.

While the CDC currently assesses the public health risk to Americans as low, the agency is monitoring the situation carefully. Scientists will continue watching throughout 2026 for evidence that H5N1 has mutated enough to transmit from person to person, a development that could trigger a global health emergency.

Thanks for tuning in. Come back next week for more updates on this developing story. This has been a Quiet Please production. For more, check out Quiet Please Dot A I.

For more http://www.quietplease.ai

Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta

This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI