Bird flu (also known as avian influenza) is a disease in many wild aquatic birds caused by an Influenza A virus. The virus can pass into other animals, including domestic birds and mammals, like dairy cattle and even humans.
Most infections in humans (and other mammals) are due to exposure to birds that are infected with the H5N1 virus. Infections in humans are rare and generally symptoms are quite mild.
Bird flu does not appear to spread from person to person. Nor is it food-borne so it is safe to eat cooked eggs and poultry meat. Bird flu virus is not found in pasteurized milk nor in ground beef.
Bird flu virus has been found in some pet food. The viral infection has killed some domestic cats and wild cats.
A vaccine exists to protect domestic poultry. There is not yet a human vaccine, although some are being developed. The CDC recommends preventing infection by avoiding contact with sources of exposure whenever possible.
On December 26, 2024, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported finding a new mutation of the H5N1 bird flu virus in a Louisiana man who had the first severe case of bird flu in the US. This mutation allows the virus to more easily attach to cells in the human upper respiratory tract. The mutated form was not found in the wild birds that likely infected the man, so it seems the mutated virus developed after the man was infected.
This mutation means the virus is more capable of infecting and causing more severe symptoms in humans. Definitely something to watch out for in the new year.
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