Category: Avian Influenza
Influenza of avian origin confirmed in a sheep in Yorkshire
UK.gov Influenza of avian origin (H5N1) has been confirmed in a single sheep in Yorkshire. The UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer has confirmed a case of influenza of avian origin (H5N1) in a single sheep in Yorkshire following repeat positive milk testing. The case was identified following routine surveillance of co-located livestock on a premises […]
Mar 26, 2025
A year later, cow flu origins are an unsettling puzzle
Science It’s still unclear how H5N1 virus jumped into U.S. cattle—and why it keeps doing so. When U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials reported one year ago today that the H5N1 avian influenza virus had infected dairy cattle in Texas and Kansas, it seemed a freak event—a rare confluence of factors that somehow allowed a […]
Mar 26, 2025
How vulnerable might humans be to bird flu? Scientists see hope in existing immunity
NPR Bird flu has ripped through the animal kingdom for the past few years now, killing countless birds and crossing into an alarming number of mammals. Yet people remain largely untouched. Even though the official tally of human cases in the U.S. is most certainly an undercount, there’s still no evidence this strain of H5N1 has spread widely among […]
Mar 19, 2025
What to know about the bird flu outbreak in wild birds and what it means for backyard bird feeders
AP Bird flu has devastated poultry and dairy farms, and sent the price of eggs soaring in the United States since it was first detected in North America in late 2021. But what has been the toll on wild birds? More than 170 species of North American wild birds – including ducks, geese, gulls, owls, eagles and others – have been […]
Mar 18, 2025
First US Outbreak of H7N9 Bird Flu Since 2017 Spurs Health Worry
Bloomberg The first outbreak in the US of deadly H7N9 bird flu strain since 2017 was detected in a Mississippi poultry farm, raising fresh health concerns. H7N9, which is separate from the H5N1 strain that has been sweeping through flocks across the US, was detected in a commercial broiler breeder chicken flock in Mississippi, the […]
Mar 18, 2025
What to know about the bird flu outbreak in wild birds and what it means for backyard bird feeders
Seattle Times Bird flu has devastated poultry and dairy farms, and sent the price of eggs soaring in the United States since it was first detected in North America in late 2021. But what has been the toll on wild birds? More than 170 species of North American wild birds – including ducks, geese, gulls, […]
Mar 18, 2025
Kennedy’s Alarming Prescription for Bird Flu on Poultry Farms
NYT The health secretary has suggested allowing the virus to spread, so as to identify birds that may be immune. Such an experiment would be disastrous, scientists say. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation’s top health official, has an unorthodox idea for tackling the bird flu bedeviling U.S. poultry farms. Let the virus rip. Instead […]
Mar 18, 2025
The Latest on Bird Flu Research, Infected Cats, and More
Scientific American No new human cases of avian influenza have been reported, and poultry infections are low so far in March. But infections in cats are continuing, and new research is raising concerns about the virus. Human cases: No new cases reported. There have been 70 confirmed and seven probable cases since 2024. Poultry cases: February saw […]
Mar 12, 2025
Are We on the Cusp of a Major Bird Flu Outbreak?
Harvard Med Scientists weigh in on the spread of H5N1 and highlight clues that portend what might come next. Bird flu, or H5N1 avian influenza, has been circulating across North America since 2022, infecting birds, livestock, wildlife, pets, and humans. Despite 70 documented human cases, there are no known instances of human-to-human transmission — but […]
Mar 12, 2025
Health Secretary RFK Jr. Calls for Intensive Testing of Bird Flu Drugs on Poultry
Bloomberg Therapeutic drugs should be “intensively” tested on US poultry flocks infected with bird flu, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said, arguing that the medications could help identify treatments for human cases. In an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity broadcast on Tuesday night, Kennedy said he opposed mass vaccination and culling as a strategy […]
Mar 12, 2025