Bird Flu Tracker Avian Influenza A H5N1

Bird flu continues to surge across US farms with no new human cases in the last day but growing calls for action. The European Food Safety Authority reports on December 16 that the risk of H5N1 from US dairy herds spreading to Europe remains very low yet urges strict biosecurity like pasteurization of milk and trade restrictions to avert significant impacts. In the US, Senator Jack Reed demands Senate hearings and a national strategy after the virus hit dairy herds in 18 states including California, Texas, and Wisconsin, criticizing the Trump Administration for canceling a Moderna vaccine contract and underusing funds amid egg price spikes.Indiana's Board of Animal Health confirmed on December 18 a new outbreak in a LaGrange County commercial egg layer flock of 2,800 birds, marking over 1,700 US premises affected since 2022 with quarantines and surveillance ramped up. CIDRAP notes Wisconsin detected avian flu on December 16 while Farm Progress America highlighted a surge across seven states on December 17, worsened by winter weather creating ideal spread conditions.Globally, scientists at Ashoka University simulated in BMC Public Health how H5N1 could jump to sustained human transmission without early quarantine, echoing ECDC warnings of unprecedented wild bird detections in Europe. CDC affirms low public risk from sporadic worker infections but monitors closely, separate from seasonal flu's three pediatric deaths this season.No major developments in the past 24 hours but experts stress vaccination and surveillance to prevent escalation.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.aiGet the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOtaThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

U.S. health officials say highly pathogenic H5 bird flu remains a concern this winter, with fresh animal outbreaks but no major change in human risk.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that since 2024 there have been 71 human H5 cases in the United States, including two deaths, almost all in dairy and poultry workers with direct animal exposure. CDC continues to rate the current public health risk to the general U.S. population as low, and there is still no evidence of sustained person to person spread.On the animal front, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and state agencies are tracking a new seasonal surge in birds and scattered detections in dairy cattle. The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota reports that Wisconsin recently detected H5N1 in a dairy herd for the first time via routine milk testing, although the cows showed no clear signs of illness and regulators stress that pasteurized milk remains safe and milk from affected animals is being discarded. Farm Progress notes that seven U.S. states are now coping with heightened avian flu activity in poultry as colder weather and wild bird migration create what analysts describe as a perfect storm for spread.At the same time, some local outbreaks are winding down. Grant County Health District in Washington state announced last week that its fall bird flu outbreak in a commercial poultry flock has officially ended after containment measures and worker monitoring, again with no human to human transmission detected.Beyond livestock, wildlife die offs are signaling the virus is still circulating widely in North America. Public radio station WVIA reports that the Pennsylvania Game Commission is investigating the deaths of roughly 400 snow geese at a Northampton County quarry, with officials saying highly pathogenic avian influenza is the likely cause based on previous confirmed events in the same region.Globally, veterinary and public health agencies continue to monitor H5N1 across Europe, Asia, and Africa, watching closely for any genetic changes that might increase its ability to spread between people. So far, human infections worldwide remain rare and linked mainly to close contact with infected birds or contaminated environments.That’s the latest on bird flu. Thanks for tuning in, and come back next week for more. This has been a Quiet Please production, and for more from me check out QuietPlease dot A I.For more http://www.quietplease.aiGet the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOtaThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

Federal and state officials are tracking a fresh wave of bird flu activity in animals across the United States, even as public health agencies maintain that the overall risk to people remains low.The most notable development is in the Midwest. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed Wisconsin’s first case of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 in a dairy cattle herd, detected through the national milk testing strategy launched in late 2024. According to a USDA news release summarized by veterinary outlet dvm360 and the University of Minnesota’s CIDRAP, the infected herd showed little obvious illness, and officials stress that pasteurized milk remains safe because pasteurization inactivates the virus and milk from affected cows is kept out of commerce.CDC’s latest national situation summary reports that since 2024 there have been 71 confirmed or probable human H5 bird flu cases linked mainly to dairy herds and poultry operations, with overall public health risk in the U.S. still assessed as low. Most infections occurred in workers with close, unprotected exposure to infected animals.In poultry, outbreaks continue to flare with the fall and winter migration. CIDRAP reports that in the past month about 880,000 U.S. birds have been affected in 90 commercial and backyard flocks, including major turkey losses in Minnesota and North Dakota and a new commercial duck meat detection in Indiana. Arkansas extension officials say more than 1.16 million birds in 108 flocks have tested positive for H5N1 in the past month as peak waterfowl migration brings added risk to local producers.Some local responses are winding down. Grant County, Washington, health officials announced this week that their October commercial poultry outbreak response has formally ended, though they caution that detections in wild birds and other animals continue and are likely to recur during migration seasons.Globally, concern centers on preventing the cattle-associated U.S. H5N1 strain from spreading abroad. The European Food Safety Authority said this week that introduction of bird flu from U.S. dairy cattle into Europe is considered very unlikely, but it urged continued vigilance and surveillance across the European Union.Thanks for tuning in, and come back next week for more. This has been a Quiet Please production, and for more from me check out QuietPlease dot A I.For more http://www.quietplease.aiGet the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOtaThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

U.S. health officials say the overall risk to the public from bird flu remains low, but surveillance is tightening as the virus continues to circulate in birds and some mammals worldwide.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that, as of its latest weekly update for early December, no sustained person to person transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza has been detected in the United States. CDC says current human infections linked to birds or animals remain rare, sporadic, and closely monitored.In Washington State, Grant County health officials announced Friday that their recent avian influenza outbreak in a commercial poultry operation has officially been declared over. According to the Grant County Health District, no human cases were identified among workers or contacts at that site, and all response activities have been completed. The agency stressed that while the risk to humans remains low, people who work with poultry or other potentially infected animals should continue using protective gear and follow biosecurity guidelines.Nationally, detections of bird flu in wild birds and backyard or commercial flocks continue to be reported during the fall migration period, and federal and state agriculture departments are culling affected flocks, restricting movement, and expanding testing to limit spread. Public health agencies are also watching dairy cattle, after previous detections of avian influenza virus in raw milk from infected herds, although pasteurized milk remains safe to drink according to U.S. food safety authorities.Globally, the virus is still taking a toll on wild birds and poultry. The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy reports suspected highly pathogenic avian influenza behind large die offs of wild geese and other birds in parts of Canada, including southern Manitoba, and in locations as far away as Hawaii. These events underscore concerns among scientists that the virus is now entrenched in wild bird populations, raising the risk of repeated spillovers into domestic flocks and occasional mammal infections.Health experts continue to advise avoiding contact with sick or dead birds, not handling raw milk from ill animals, and reporting unusual die offs to local authorities. Officials emphasize that people who develop flu like symptoms after close contact with infected birds or mammals should seek medical care and mention that exposure.Thank you for tuning in, and come back next week for more. This has been a Quiet Please production, and for more from me check out QuietPlease dot A I.For more http://www.quietplease.aiGet the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOtaThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

U.S. bird flu surveillance is intensifying this week as new animal infections and fresh research findings keep H5 viruses in the spotlight.In Texas, Focus Daily News and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department report highly pathogenic avian influenza detections in multiple regions of the state, prompting warnings to hunters, landowners, and poultry producers to avoid contact with sick or dead wild birds and to tighten farm biosecurity. The San Antonio Express News notes Texas poultry producers are bracing for possible supply disruptions and higher egg prices if outbreaks spread in commercial flocks.In Delaware, the state Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced that a sick snow goose found in eastern Kent County has tested presumptive positive for H5 avian influenza, the first such detection in a snow goose there this season. Delaware Online reports officials are urging poultry and livestock owners to keep domestic birds away from wild waterfowl, restrict farm visitors, and follow strict cleaning and disinfection protocols.On the human health front, Iowa Public Radio highlights new research indicating that mammary glands in humans, sheep, and other livestock may be capable of harboring H5N1, raising questions about how the virus behaves in dairy herds and whether milk tissue could be a reservoir. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cited in that report, says at least 71 people in the U.S. have been infected with H5N1 so far, with two deaths, almost all tied to close contact with infected birds or dairy cows and no confirmed person to person spread.Globally, the World Health Organization’s Western Pacific office reports 30 new highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks in animals from late November to early December, including major H5N1 events in Japanese poultry and wild birds and additional cases in wild birds in South Korea. Separately, My Vet Candy reports that nearly nine million poultry have been culled worldwide since October, with large losses in the United States, Canada, and Germany, and experts warning that migratory birds continue to drive international spread.Public health agencies continue to stress that the overall risk to the general public remains low, but they advise avoiding contact with sick or dead birds and thoroughly cooking poultry and eggs.Thanks for tuning in, and come back next week for more. This has been a Quiet Please production. For more from me, check out QuietPlease dot A I.For more http://www.quietplease.aiGet the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOtaThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI