Contents
What is bird flu or highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1)?
Bird flu (H5N1) is caused by an infection with avian influenza type A viruses, which primarily spread among wild aquatic birds and can infect other animals. Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses cause severe disease and high mortality in infected poultry.
In late March 2024, a human case of influenza A(H5N1) virus infection was identified after exposure to dairy cows presumably infected with bird flu. CDC has reported additional, sporadic human cases in people who had exposure to infected dairy cows. According to the CDC, the current risk to the general public is low.
Learn more from the AMA on questions patients may have and how to answer.
Featured CDC updates
- May 22, 2024: H5N1 Bird Flu: Current Situation Summary
- April 5, 2024: CDC Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A (H5N1) Virus: Identification of Human Infection and Recommendations for Investigations and Response
Clinical information and resources from the AMA
Federal resources
-
CDC advice for clinicians on raw milk and bird flu (PDF)
-
FDA updates on avian flu
-
USDA bird flu in livestock detection guidance
AMA video updates
What you need to know about bird flu
Jay Butler, MD, deputy director for infectious diseases at the CDC, discusses the latest developments.
Find more:
- June 19, 2024: Latest on bird flu
- May 29, 2024: Bird flu in milk: Raw milk vs. pasteurized milk
- May 22, 2024: Bird flu raw milk dangers
- May 15, 2024: CDC wastewater surveillance for bird flu
- May 8, 2024: How does bird flu spread?
