Bird Flu Tracker Avian Influenza A H5N1

Kansas hit by worst bird flu outbreak in the nation, with over 400,000 birds affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI, in more than 10 counties as of January 28, according to the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Kansas Department of Agriculture. Quarantines are in place in areas like Pottawatomie, Greenwood, and Nemaha counties to curb the rapidly spreading virus, which has a high death rate in poultry and is linked to wild bird migrations, experts say.

In Washington state's Grant County, a domestic cat and a backyard poultry flock tested positive for bird flu in recent weeks, marking the first such cat case in Eastern Washington not tied to contaminated pet food, per Grant County Health District reports. No human infections occurred there, but officials urge pet owners to watch for symptoms like lethargy, respiratory issues, or neurological signs in cats, and report sick birds to the state hotline.

Nationally, the CDC's latest FluView for the week ending January 17 shows no new confirmed human H5 bird flu cases, with 71 total U.S. human infections and two deaths since 2022, and no person-to-person spread detected. Seasonal flu dominates, with influenza A(H3N2) leading hospitalizations at a cumulative 55.4 per 100,000, down slightly but still high, alongside 44 pediatric deaths this season, mostly in unvaccinated kids.

Farm Progress America warns on January 29 that HPAI is devastating the poultry industry again, echoing outbreaks since 2021. Risk to humans remains low, but farm workers and those handling infected animals should use PPE and monitor for flu-like symptoms.

Health officials stress handwashing, avoiding sick animals, and flu shots to stay protected.

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H5N1 bird flu continues to circulate widely in the United States, with GISAID reporting ongoing spread in dairy cows, poultry, and wild birds as of January 23, 2026, based on the latest genetic trees updated just days ago. The clade 2.3.4.4b strain has triggered 71 confirmed human cases since April 2024 per CDC genome analysis, mostly mild eye and respiratory symptoms in farm workers exposed to infected animals, though one case showed a rare mammalian adaptation marker.

In the US, the FAO notes 1,409 H5N1 outbreaks in animals since October 2025, hitting poultry, dairy, and wildlife like bald eagles and red foxes, with the latest on January 16. CDC's weekly flu report for the week ending January 17 confirms no new H5 human infections, maintaining zero person-to-person spread, amid elevated seasonal flu but declining hospitalizations at 2.9 per 100,000.

Globally, FAO tallies 1,391 HPAI outbreaks in 39 countries since December 23, 2025, including fresh H5N1 events in Europe like Belgium and Germany, and H5N9 in South Korea as recent as January 21. Three child H9N2 cases surfaced in China in January per WHO, all recovered after backyard poultry exposure. Notably, H5N1 hit a Dutch dairy cow, the first outside the US, signaling potential wider cattle risks.

Raw milk remains a concern, with high virus loads detected and a new review in Pediatrics on January 22 exploring it as a transmission vehicle. No major US human escalations in the last day, but vigilance continues amid animal surges.

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Bird Flu Update: US Poultry Sector Stabilizes Amid Ongoing Vigilance

In the United States, agricultural leaders report bird flu, or high-path avian influenza (HPAI), is increasingly under control, with Pennsylvania showcasing a poultry comeback at last week's Farm Show in Harrisburg. WVIA News highlights that no recent confirmed cases have hit Northeast or Central Pennsylvania, per USDA data as of January 21, with the state logging just one commercial flock and three backyard flocks affected, totaling 35,540 birds. Nationally, the USDA tallies 67 confirmed flocks over the last 30 days, impacting 1.48 million birds, mostly backyard operations across 29 states—Hawaii and Alaska remain untouched.

Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding, speaking to WVIA, called bird flu a top 2026 priority, praising biosecurity measures that have curbed spread since the 2022 outbreak in Lancaster County. The state leads uniquely with its HPAI Recovery Reimbursement Grant, offering up to $25,000 per farmer from a $2 million fund. Biosecurity educator Capri Stiles-Mikesell of Penn State Extension demonstrated live birds at the show, stressing simple protections like dedicated boots, disinfectants, and isolated feed stations to deter wild birds.

Globally and in the US, concerns linger from 2025's severe cases, including a fatal Louisiana infection in an elderly patient exposed to sick birds, as detailed by The Transmission at UNMC. California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency late that year after detections in raw milk, dairy farms, and even children, per LA Times reports. Yet, 2026 headlines have quieted, with no major flares in the last 24 hours.

Experts like Redding affirm, "We've been fortunate... We're doing the right things." Poultry displays returned after quarantines, signaling industry resilience.

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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."

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# 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.

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