This is Bird Flu Update: US H5N1 News Now, your weekly source on the latest developments in the ongoing bird flu situation affecting the United States.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that as of this week, the US has confirmed a total of 71 human cases of H5 bird flu since 2024. Recent months have seen new cases connected to exposure from infected dairy herds, poultry farms, and backyard flocks. Notably, the CDC confirms three new human cases in 2025 alone: a dairy worker in Nevada, a poultry worker in Ohio, and a flock owner in Wyoming. Tragically, the first bird flu-related death in the US occurred in Louisiana earlier this year. Most of these cases are associated with high-risk occupational exposures, and the CDC emphasizes that no person-to-person transmission has been documented to date.
Federal authorities, including the United States Department of Agriculture, continue to monitor the situation closely among animal populations. In November, a new case of H5N1 was detected in a backyard flock in Sonoma County, California, while states such as Wisconsin have also reported cases in commercial poultry. Wild bird surveillance remains active with the USDA updating detections as recently as November 13. Experts from UC Davis also note the emergence of additional strains like H5N9 in California, and continued spillover into cattle and marine mammals.
CDC guidance has evolved in response to these developments. As of July, H5N1 bird flu updates have been merged with routine flu surveillance, and exposure monitoring now follows a monthly reporting cadence. Interim recommendations for prevention and monitoring were also updated, especially for farm and food processing workers, with an emphasis on infection prevention measures and personal protective equipment. The USDA’s mandatory raw milk surveillance, introduced late last year, remains in effect and aims to rapidly identify and contain new outbreaks in dairy herds.
On the research front, US scientists and the World Health Organization continue to study transmission patterns, genetic changes, and vaccine efficacy for both animals and humans. While H5N1 remains highly infectious in birds, there has been no sustained human-to-human transmission. The general risk to the public is still considered low, but the situation is closely monitored given influenza’s potential to change.
For listeners, this means the current risk remains low unless you are working closely with poultry or livestock. If you do work in these environments, the CDC urges use of protective gear, vigilance for flu-like symptoms, and prompt testing after exposure. Consumers should rest assured that the commercial food supply, including poultry and dairy, is rigorously tested and monitored by both federal and state agencies.
Compared to prior weeks, the overall US risk assessment is largely unchanged. Cases in animals remain localized, and surveillance is ongoing. However, increased detections in wild and domestic birds and ongoing occupational cases show the importance of continued precautions and response readiness.
That wraps up this week’s Bird Flu Update: US H5N1 News Now. Thank you for tuning in and be sure to come back next week as we continue to track the latest developments. This has been a Quiet Please production, and for more, check out Quiet Please dot A I.
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