If it feels like you’re seeing a lot more bird flu in the news lately, you are. In fact, Colorado is currently leading the nation in bird flu outbreaks. Here’s what you need to know.
What Is Bird Flu?
Avian Influenza, or H5 bird flu, is a highly contagious viral infection that primarily affects birds and the occasional mammal that comes into contact with an infected bird. For birds, infection is nearly always fatal. While it can (and has) spread to humans, that is still a relatively rare occurrence. Before the current outbreak there was only one documented human case of bird flu in the U.S. (Colorado in 2022).
What’s the Current Situation?
A surge of bird flu outbreaks in the spring of 2022 has continued to plague U.S. poultry farms and wild fowl populations over the past two years, killing millions of birds. Then, earlier this year, the virus was discovered spreading among dairy cattle. More recently, the virus has made the jump to humans. The latest data shows Colorado leading the country in cow infections (50 herds) as well as humans (10).
How Does It Spread?
For animals and humans alike, the virus is contracted through close contact with an infected bird’s body fluid or feces. This strain has been spreading animal-to-animal and animal-to-human, making poultry and livestock workers most susceptible. There have not been any confirmed human-to-human transmissions, which is why health officials are deeming the risk to the public low.
It’s important to note: You can NOT get infected by eating chicken or eggs that are properly cooked. Pasteurized milk is also considered safe.
Some common human symptoms include:
- Red eye
- Coughing
- Sore throat
- Stuffy / runny nose
- Muscle / body aches
- Fever
- Difficulty breathing
How Can I Protect Myself?
First, know that infected poultry flocks are culled and infected cattle herds are quarantined. Additionally, state officials have enacted the mandatory weekly testing of milk at all dairies. People who were in close contact with infected humans are also being monitored.
While there are currently no vaccines or treatments for bird flu in humans, you can take precautions — as long as you’re consuming pasteurized dairy products, you’re not a poultry or livestock worker, and you’re avoiding sick or dead birds, you should be fine.
Because other mammals are susceptible to infection, pet owners should keep their animals away from wild and dead birds.
You can stay up to date with the current situation by following updates from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
