Although dairy cattle and poultry continue to get infected and there are several more human cases, the risk to the general public is still low.
This information is correct as of March 10, 2025, 6:00 PM EDT.
Avian influenza, more commonly called bird flu, continues to infect poultry and dairy cattle in the United States. Human cases have also been found, however most of them are in farm workers who had direct contact with sick poultry or cows.
Let’s look at some US numbers (these are CDC laboratory-confirmed cases):
🐮 Cattle farms affected: 983 herds in 17 states
🐓 50 states and 1 territory (Puerto Rico) have outbreaks in poultry
🤕 Human cases: 70 in total (41 in people exposed to cattle, 24 from poultry farms, 2 due to other animal exposure and 3 unknown).
To date, most of the human cases have come from farm workers who are exposed to infected cattle or poultry. The three unknown cases were detected through the national flu surveillance system. None of the cases’ contacts have tested positive, which means human-to-human transmission remains unlikely at this point.
Four patients in the USA have been hospitalized for bird flu. Two of these cases were identified in the last few weeks. One in Wyoming and one in Ohio [archived link]. The Ohio patient has now been released from the hospital. Earlier this year, a patient hospitalized in Louisiana passed away from their infection.
For the first time rats [archived link] have been confirmed to have H5N1 infection. The more animals are infected, the more challenging it is to stop the spread.
The USDA recently announced a 5 step plan [archived link] to try to control bird flu in poultry, which includes:
- Increase wildlife biosecurity in commercial poultry facilities
- Assist farmers whose flocks are impacted by HPAI
- Reduce regulations in an attempt to mitigate impact on consumers
- Increase investment in the development of vaccines and therapeutics
- Explore changes in import-export to increase supply
The USDA has also conditionally authorized a H5N1 vaccine for poultry. It is unclear if and when it will be rolled out and used in poultry farms throughout the USA. We will update once more is known.
Is the seasonal influenza surge we are having this winter due to bird flu?
We are having a really bad flu season, but surveillance [archived link] and wastewater data [archived link] show that this is driven by seasonal influenza A – H3N1 or H1N1, not bird flu (H5N1). We may be missing some bird flu cases, but they are not responsible for this season’s high flu A numbers.
Canada purchased avian flu vaccines to give those who are high-risk of exposure. Is the USA doing this?
The Public Health Association of Canada recently made the decision to purchase avian flu vaccines for high-risk workers and they have released preliminary guidelines [archived link] for clinicians. At this time, the USA has not indicated that they have plans to provide vaccine access to high-risk workers. We will provide an update if this changes.
Should we take down our bird feeders?
H5N1 infects many different types of birds including some that come to bird feeders [archived link]. Bird feeders can be a source of spread since the virus is shed in feces, saliva, and mucus, and new birds are infected by ingesting or breathing in the virus from these sources. However, the risk remains low, and there is no current recommendation to remove bird feeders unless you maintain a backyard chicken flock. Regardless, you should regularly clean bird feeders and birdbaths and be sure to wash your hands after handling bird feeders. You may consider wearing disposable gloves when handling bird feeders and removing or changing your shoes before entering your home if there are reports of HPAI in your area.
If you have backyard poultry, wild birds could transmit the virus to the chickens. Chickens are highly susceptible and humans can be in close contact with their chickens, which increases the possibility of chicken-to-human spread.
A reminder about harm reduction
In the next two sections, we are sharing the ideal guidelines on how to protect your cats and for those who own poultry. We recognize that not all of these guidelines are possible for everyone to follow. For example, some of you may have outdoor cats that cannot come inside or may not have an enclosure for your chickens or the money to buy one. The team at Those Nerdy Girls has discussed harm reduction before. Harm reduction aims to reduce the negative impact of certain behaviors.
When considering the below guideline, keep in mind that doing what you can to reduce risk is better than doing nothing. So even if you can’t implement them all, it is still worth trying to apply the ones that are within your power.
I heard that some cats have died from bird flu. Is there anything I can do to protect my cat?
Cats are highly susceptible to avian flu and we keep hearing about cats getting infected in different states across the USA. Did you know that even big cats like lions and tigers can get avian flu? Cats can catch it from several different sources including raw milk from infected cows on dairy farms, exposure to wild birds, or contact with farm animals like cows and chickens. To protect your cats the American Veterinary Medical Association says you should:
- Not feed or allow cats to consume unpasteurized dairy products. This includes raw milk.
- Avoid raw food diets and thoroughly cook any meat before feeding it to your cat
- Keep cats indoors to limit exposure to wild birds
- Keep cats away from livestock
- Wash your hands after handling poultry, cows, birds, or wild animals. This is especially important if you’re going to interact with your cat or prepare their food and water.
- After handling bird feeders, wash your hands, and change your shoes before you enter your house
- Contact your veterinarian if you notice any signs of H5N1
Should I do anything to reduce my risk if I keep chickens?
The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) recommends that if you keep chickens or other poultry in your yard you should:
- Keep their food and water secured so that wild birds cannot access it
- Keep them indoors or in an enclosure that limits exposure to wild birds whenever possible
- Change your clothes and wash your hands before and after handling backyard chickens or their food and water
- Do not maintain wild bird feeders
- Use disposable booties or a boot wash before entering the enclosure
- Look for warning signs of illness [archived link] in your flock
- Report any sudden deaths
Reminder – although the risk to the general public remains low, here are a few things you can do:
🚫 Avoid raw milk and raw milk products. Pasteurized milk is safe as the pasteurization process kills the virus.
🚫 Don’t feed raw milk or food products to your pets.
🚫 Don’t let your pets play with sick or dead birds.
🚫 Don’t touch any sick or dead birds you encounter, and if you find any dead wild birds report them.
🐮 If you work or have contact with farm animals (including backyard chickens) please wear proper PPE because your risk of exposure is higher than the general public. CDC outlines resources for you here.
💉 Make sure you are vaccinated for the flu to reduce the chance you become infected with multiple flu strains at once.
🇺🇸 There are also many things the federal government can and should be doing to help. You can learn more from this article published by the nonprofit policy organization Rand.
Bottom line:
H5N1 is not going away anytime soon, but for now, the risk to most of the public remains low. We don’t want you to worry about this too much. Rest assured that we are keeping an eye on this and will update you with any important news or changes.
Stay safe. Stay well.
Love,
Those Nerdy Girls
Useful reading:
CDC – H5 Bird Flu: Current Situation [archived link]
USDA – HPAI confirmed cases in livestock [archived link]
CDC – Raw milk [archived link]
Previous TNG posts about Bird Flu:
What’s the latest on Bird FLu – Jan’25
What is the latest on Bird Flu? – Dec’24
What’s the latest on Bird Flu? – Oct’24
