Bird flu (H5N1 virus) has been in the news lately, following the Louisiana Department of Health’s announcement that a patient hospitalized with the virus in January 2025 had died, which is the first U.S. death from H5N1. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) still considers bird flu a low risk to humans, but it’s monitoring it carefully.
Huntington Health’s Medical Director of Infection Prevention and Control, Kimberly Shriner, MD, recently answered our top five questions about bird flu.
1. What is bird flu and what are the concerns?
Bird flu (also called avian influenza or H5N1) is a form of influenza that has spread widely in wild birds over the past several years. It has now adapted to infect a wide variety of other animals including dairy cattle (and their milk), felines and marine mammals. The increase in cases in wild animals around the world may speak to infectious adaptations that the H5N1 virus has made. And it’s not surprising that we are seeing a rise in H5N1 in animals that are housed together as they are on farms. Although it is a concern that the H5N1 virus could develop a genetic adaptation that would enhance human-to-human transmission, we have not yet seen that form of transmission occur regularly.
2. How many human cases have been reported in the U.S.?
There have been 70* cases of H5N1 infections, with one death in the U.S. Many of these individuals had close contact with infected cows and chickens on dairy and poultry farms. Some veterinarians were infected. A few people were infected after having contact with home-raised chickens or wild birds that died in their yard. A few individuals tested positive for H5N1 after contact with infected cats. Most infections are mild in humans, but a few immuno-compromised individuals have required hospitalization.
3. What are the symptoms, and what should we do if we suspect we have it?
The infection is usually mild with flu-like symptoms of fever, muscle aches and congestion. Also, conjunctivitis (infection of the eyes) has been reported fairly frequently. Those who present with these symptoms and have an exposure history can go to the emergency department for an H5N1 nasal swab test. State public agencies will be notified, and they will perform a PCR test (i.e., a polymerase chain reaction lab test that diagnoses infections) for H5N1.
4. What is the treatment?
Treatment for humans is largely symptomatic as the disease usually is relatively mild or completely asymptomatic. Oseltamivir and other flu medications seem to show some efficacy with H5N1. A vaccine has been developed (though not deployed) for humans. Vaccines that may slow the spread of this virus are available for animals, including chickens.
5. How can humans avoid contracting bird flu?
Avoid contact: Prolonged exposure to infected animals on dairy and poultry farms; wild birds that are ill or have died; and other sick animals that may be carrying the virus. H5N1 can be passed into milk from dairy cattle (the virus concentrates heavily in the mammary glands of cows) and potentially from infected egg productions, but pasteurization and thorough cooking will kill the H5N1 virus (and other infectious diseases). Although there is much concern about eggs, most chickens with H5N1 are very quickly killed by the virus and do not lay eggs. Raw meat products, especially raw chicken, are causing concern, but the worry lies more in handling it than ingesting it. However, cooking eggs or meat thoroughly will also kill the virus (i.e., egg whites and yolks are firm, and internal temperature is 145°F for red meat and 165°F for poultry).
Whether a virus is low risk to humans (like H5N1 currently is) or high risk (like COVID during the pandemic), we can protect ourselves from viruses: Avoid sick contacts (animals and humans), practice good hand hygiene, clean and sterilize potentially contaminated surfaces, wear a mask in crowded situations, and alert your physician if you have been exposed or are becoming sick with a flu-like illness. Stay vaccinated for regular viral diseases, such as human flu and COVID (which can present just like H5N1), and follow reliable sources of information about this pathogen.
*As of March 10, 2025
