Washington Post How it spreads, the symptoms and more.
After a dairy worker in Texas was infected with a highly pathogenic strain of bird flu, disease trackers worry the recent outbreak among cattle could develop into a larger threat.
The risk to the general public remains low, but experts are concerned about the possibility of the H5N1 virus evolving and more easily spreading from birds to other mammals. Here’s what to know about bird flu, its symptoms and treatment, and its risk to humans and pets.
What is bird flu?
Avian influenza is a disease caused by influenza A viruses that spread widely among wild birds, particularly aquatic birds, birds of prey and waterfowl, but also domestic birds such as poultry. In the United States, highly pathogenic avian influenza has been detected in more than 9,000wild birds and affected more than 82 million commercial poultry and backyard flocks since early 2022, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to the World Organization for Animal Health, avian influenza viruses can survive for long periods in cold temperatures on surfaces such as farm equipment, which allows them to spread from farm to farm.
Can humans catch bird flu?
It is rare, but humans can become infected with bird flu if they come into close contact with infected birds — whether the birds are dead or alive — or with surfaces that may have been contaminated by an infected bird’s saliva or feces.