Headline: Experts Warn Raging Bird Flu Outbreak Poses Escalating Animal Health Crisis, But Remains Low Risk to Humans

U.S. health officials say bird flu remains a serious animal health crisis but not yet a human one, even as scientists warn the virus is “completely out of control” in wildlife and livestock globally, according to reporting compiled by the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Science Focus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest FluView update for the week ending January 3, 2026, reports no human H5 bird flu infections detected through its national influenza surveillance systems and continues to rate current public health risk in the U.S. as low, even as seasonal flu activity stays elevated. The CDC notes that H5 bird flu has not been identified in routine respiratory samples from patients hospitalized with influenza-like illness, underscoring that human cases remain rare and sporadic.

Experts remain uneasy. Scientists interviewed by Science Focus and summarized by UNMC’s Global Center for Health Security this week say highly pathogenic H5N1 has now infected hundreds of millions of birds, swept through poultry operations, and become established in U.S. dairy cattle since 2024, a species jump few anticipated. They describe the virus as “raging around the world” in wild animals, with no realistic way to eliminate it from nature, raising the long-term risk of further mutations.

Globally, infectious-disease specialists writing in The Conversation and carried by Gavi’s VaccinesWork platform say H5N1 will be one of the most closely watched viruses in 2026. Researchers are looking for any genetic changes that might enable efficient human‑to‑human transmission, the key step toward a pandemic. Current seasonal flu vaccines are not expected to protect well against H5N1, but several targeted bird flu vaccine candidates are under development and could be deployed for high‑risk workers if needed.

For now, officials emphasize that people at greatest risk are those with prolonged, unprotected exposure to infected birds, cattle, or their environments, such as farm and processing‑plant workers. Consumers are advised to avoid raw milk and ensure poultry, eggs, and meat are thoroughly cooked, standard food safety measures that inactivate influenza viruses.

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