Here's What to Know About Bird Flu Risk

Two notable stories regarding bird flu in the US made headlines on Wednesday—the US has its first confirmed "severe" human case and California declared a state of emergency as the disease spreads among dairy cows. But while health officials are keeping a close watch on developments, they emphasize that the risk to the general public is low. "If you're not working directly with animals right now, it would not be the top thing that I'd be worried about," Dr. Gail Hansen, a veterinary public health expert, tells the New York Times. "It's unlikely right now that's going to be a problem for most people." Coverage:

• Cases: The CDC has logged 61 human cases of the H5N1 virus this year, and all but three of those patients worked on dairy or poultry farms, reports CNN. Typically, patients have relatively mild symptoms such as fever, muscle ache, and pink eye. The virus has been detected in 865 dairy herds in 16 states, but the vast majority of infected herds—about 650—are in California, notes the AP.

• Backyard chickens: The nation's first severe human case is out of Louisiana, where the CDC says the patient appears to have been exposed through contact with sick or dead backyard chickens. "This case does not change CDC's overall assessment of the immediate risk to the public's health from H5N1 bird flu, which remains low," says the agency. CNN reports the person is older than 65 and had underlying health conditions.
• Raw milk: Pasteurized milk is safe, say health authorities, but raw milk may carry risks. Some of the farm workers infected may have contracted the virus after coming into contact with droplets of raw milk, per the New York Times. However, no human cases have been confirmed from drinking raw milk.
• Cats: Because cats have become infected, too, health officials advise keeping them away from wild birds and raw milk. Three more cats believed to be infected have turned up in Los Angeles County, reports the Los Angeles Times. Bird flu first jumped to mammals in 2022 (sea elephants) and has been infecting more mammals ever since, per National Geographic.
• Watch the pigs: If the virus begins jumping from human to human, that could accelerate its spread. However, no human-to-human transmission of the virus has been detected, either in the US or in other countries. Mutations could change that, and National Geographic reports that one worrisome step in that direction would be if the virus begins showing up in pigs. The animals "can be infected by both bird viruses and human viruses at the same time," which, "sets up a literal virus breeding ground."

(More bird flu stories.)