Widespread Avian Flu Outbreaks in US: Dairy Herds, Poultry Flocks, and Wild Birds Affected

Bird flu, or highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1, continues to circulate widely in US wild birds, poultry, and dairy cows, with 71 confirmed human cases since 2024 mostly among dairy and poultry workers, according to the CDC's latest situation summary updated February 6. California leads with 38 cases linked to dairy herds, while Washington state reports 12 from poultry exposure, and Louisiana noted the first US death from backyard bird contact.

In the past week, USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service confirmed major outbreaks, including 1.3 million commercial egg layers in Colorado's Weld County and 722,000 birds in Pennsylvania's Lancaster County, plus cases in South Dakota turkeys and Philadelphia live-bird markets, totaling 4.9 million birds affected in 59 flocks over 30 days. GISAID reports the clade 2.3.4.4b strain spreading in US animals, with closely related viruses in cows, farm workers, and raw milk showing high viral loads, though most human symptoms remain mild like conjunctivitis.

CDC emphasizes low public health risk but enhanced surveillance, detecting 64 cases among over 22,600 exposed individuals. Federal testing mandates since 2024 have boosted dairy herd detections to over 1,000, aligning better with retail milk positives found in 36% of spring 2024 samples across 13 states, per Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Globally, H5N1 caused over 50 skua deaths in Antarctica in 2023-2024, a first per UC Davis and Erasmus MC research, while EU nations like France and Germany report ongoing poultry outbreaks. Experts at Germany's RKI assess low general population risk but note mammalian adaptations in US cows raising vigilance.

No new US human cases emerged in the last 24 hours, but seasonal migration fuels expectations of more poultry detections through spring, per Texas A&M AgriLife.

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