Answers to your questions about the bird flu
This colorized electron microscope image released by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in March, 2024, shows avian influenza A H5N1 virus particles. Credit: AP
Infectious disease experts who have been monitoring this latest wave of bird flu were not surprised when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Monday that the first person in the United States had died from the H5N1 strain of the virus.
The highly contagious virus, spread by infected birds, can cause severe illness and even death, the agency said.
But officials also maintain the risk to most people in the nation remains low and there has been no recorded cases of person-to-person transmission. People who work with poultry, dairy cows and wild birds should take precautions such as wearing masks and other protective gear, they said.
Here is what you need to know about the bird flu:
Avian influenza viruses occur naturally among wild aquatic birds such as ducks, geese, gulls, swans and others, according to the CDC. The highly contagious virus can spread to chickens, ducks, turkeys and other domestic species. Birds that are infected can spread the virus through their saliva, droppings and nasal secretions.
The current strain, H5N1, is considered highly pathogenic and can cause severe illness and death among infected birds. But the virus has also been detected in dairy cows, so many of the infections in humans have been found in people who work with poultry or cows.
The flu virus has also been found in mammals. In New York State, the virus has been found in bobcats and raccoons.
“So far, sustained human-to-human transmission has not been demonstrated,” Dr. Sara Karaba, an infectious disease expert and assistant professor medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, told Newsday in an email. “A concern is that infections in domestic poultry and now dairy cattle are ongoing. This may allow spread to humans, as people work in these settings and may encounter sick animals. Influenza viruses have the ability to adapt and change, and there is a concern that avian influenza viruses could adapt to be more easily transmitted to and thus more easily infect humans.”
The CDC said there have been 66 confirmed human cases since 2024, and before that one case in 2022. Globally, the World Health Organization has reported there have been at least 950 human cases of bird flu and about half have died, according to the CDC. The man who died in Louisiana had exposure to sick and dead birds in a backyard flock, officials said.
“Sporadic infections have occurred in humans that have ranged from mild to severe disease,” Karaba said. “Most human infections with bird flu have occurred after close or prolonged contact with sick birds.”
There have been no human cases reported in the state and no cases among cows. However, the virus is very common in wild birds such as a great horned owl and bald eagle found in Suffolk County in 2022, and a red-tailed hawk and peregrine falcon found in Nassau County in the 2022 and 2023. In addition, one commercial flock and 25 backyard flocks were impacted, according to the U.S.D.A.
Red, irritated eyes, mild fever, cough, sore throat, headaches, fatigue.
No but it’s still a good idea, according to the state Health Department.
“Seasonal flu shots do not protect against avian influenza, but they do protect against seasonal flu, and they may reduce the chance of human influenza strains mixing with avian influenza virus,” the agency said in a statement. “This action will help to reduce the risk of a virus emerging that is likely to spread from human to human.”
Infectious disease experts who have been monitoring this latest wave of bird flu were not surprised when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Monday that the first person in the United States had died from the H5N1 strain of the virus.
The highly contagious virus, spread by infected birds, can cause severe illness and even death, the agency said.
But officials also maintain the risk to most people in the nation remains low and there has been no recorded cases of person-to-person transmission. People who work with poultry, dairy cows and wild birds should take precautions such as wearing masks and other protective gear, they said.
Here is what you need to know about the bird flu:
What is the bird flu and how is it spread?
Avian influenza viruses occur naturally among wild aquatic birds such as ducks, geese, gulls, swans and others, according to the CDC. The highly contagious virus can spread to chickens, ducks, turkeys and other domestic species. Birds that are infected can spread the virus through their saliva, droppings and nasal secretions.
The current strain, H5N1, is considered highly pathogenic and can cause severe illness and death among infected birds. But the virus has also been detected in dairy cows, so many of the infections in humans have been found in people who work with poultry or cows.
The flu virus has also been found in mammals. In New York State, the virus has been found in bobcats and raccoons.
“So far, sustained human-to-human transmission has not been demonstrated,” Dr. Sara Karaba, an infectious disease expert and assistant professor medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, told Newsday in an email. “A concern is that infections in domestic poultry and now dairy cattle are ongoing. This may allow spread to humans, as people work in these settings and may encounter sick animals. Influenza viruses have the ability to adapt and change, and there is a concern that avian influenza viruses could adapt to be more easily transmitted to and thus more easily infect humans.”
How many people have been infected with bird flu?
The CDC said there have been 66 confirmed human cases since 2024, and before that one case in 2022. Globally, the World Health Organization has reported there have been at least 950 human cases of bird flu and about half have died, according to the CDC. The man who died in Louisiana had exposure to sick and dead birds in a backyard flock, officials said.
“Sporadic infections have occurred in humans that have ranged from mild to severe disease,” Karaba said. “Most human infections with bird flu have occurred after close or prolonged contact with sick birds.”
What is the situation in New York right now?
There have been no human cases reported in the state and no cases among cows. However, the virus is very common in wild birds such as a great horned owl and bald eagle found in Suffolk County in 2022, and a red-tailed hawk and peregrine falcon found in Nassau County in the 2022 and 2023. In addition, one commercial flock and 25 backyard flocks were impacted, according to the U.S.D.A.
What are the symptoms?
Red, irritated eyes, mild fever, cough, sore throat, headaches, fatigue.
Will getting a flu shot protect me from the bird flu?
No but it’s still a good idea, according to the state Health Department.
“Seasonal flu shots do not protect against avian influenza, but they do protect against seasonal flu, and they may reduce the chance of human influenza strains mixing with avian influenza virus,” the agency said in a statement. “This action will help to reduce the risk of a virus emerging that is likely to spread from human to human.”
Lisa joined Newsday as a staff writer in 2019. She previously worked at amNewYork, the New York Daily News and the Asbury Park Press covering politics, government and general assignment.
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