You’re listening to Avian Flu Watch: Global H5N1 Tracker, your three-minute briefing on the worldwide spread of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza, as of November 2025.

Let’s begin with the latest global overview. The Americas remain a significant hotspot. The Pan American Health Organization reports that since 2022, 19 countries in the region have documented 5,063 H5N1 outbreaks. Between 2022 and October 2025, there have been 76 reported human infections in the region, with two confirmed deaths. Globally, the World Health Organization’s records stretch back to 2003 and tally 990 reported human cases, with 475 fatalities. For 2025 alone, the CDC notes 26 new human infections between January and early August.

Zooming in on geographic patterns, South America has faced major wildlife die-offs, especially in marine mammals. Argentina and Uruguay, for example, have seen over 24,000 sea lion deaths, with outbreaks moving along the Pacific to Atlantic coasts. In North America, the U.S. experienced its first human avian flu death in Louisiana this year, amid a historic outbreak in poultry and, significantly, in dairy cattle for the first time. Mathematical models published in Nature Communications reveal that as of January 2025, most U.S. cattle outbreaks were concentrated in West Coast states, especially California, which reported eight times more herd outbreaks than any other state. Arizona and Wisconsin are flagged as the next likely epicenters.

Europe has also faced intense waves. Germany culled more than 500,000 birds this October after recording 103 outbreaks, including deadly events among cranes. Hungary saw the loss of 10,000 cranes, while in the UK, a human case was reported and unusual mammalian infections documented.

Across Asia, Cambodia has seen several fatal human cases early in 2025 connected to poultry exposure. The Greater Mekong region is closely watched for the emergence of reassortant viruses, combining genetic material from multiple H5 lineages—a potential warning sign for evolution and adaptation.

On the trendline, case data from the CDC and ECDC show persistent but scattered human infections, with most linked to direct contact with sick or dead poultry. As of September, 19 recent human H5N1 cases had been reported in Europe, including three deaths. Visualizing the trend, infection rates surged in wildlife in early 2024, plateaued mid-year, but with notable spikes among livestock and interspecies transmission events through the fall. The World Organization for Animal Health links these surges to migratory bird pathways, seasonal farming activities, and sporadic biosecurity lapses.

Cross-border transmission is driven by wildlife migration and trade. Data from Frontier Microbiology emphasize how regions with dense poultry, live bird markets, and minimal biosecurity are at highest risk. Recent transmission models show that U.S. efforts—like interstate cattle testing and poultry culling—have curbed but not halted viral spread, with experts calling for stronger, farm-focused interventions.

The main variant of concern is clade 2.3.4.4b, which is causing most global outbreaks and has proven capable of infecting diverse mammalian hosts, raising alarms over spillover potential.

For travelers, the CDC and WHO currently recommend avoiding live animal markets, poultry farms, and close contact with wild birds in affected regions. Enhanced surveillance and caution are advised, especially for those working in agriculture.

That’s your Avian Flu Watch for this week. Thank you for tuning in, and come back next week for the latest updates. This has been a Quiet Please production. For more, check out Quiet Please Dot A I.

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