The actions we take now will determine whether the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 outbreak already affecting birds and mammals around the world takes hold in humans.
(AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
Our approach to combating pandemics must shift to one that prioritizes prevention of human infections with zoonotic viruses, rather than focusing on rapid response once human infection is widespread.
Can the virus transfer from infected farm animals to contaminate milk, meat or eggs? It depends on where you are and how well you cook your food. But for most of us, the chances are low.
Contact tracing didn’t identify any cases beyond this child. While the risk to the public is very low, the global situation with bird flu is precarious.
Migratory birds could bring the lethal bird flu variant that is assailing the rest of the world’s birds.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed that dairy cows in nine states have been infected with bird flu in 2024.
U.S. Department of Agriculture
A veterinarian and epidemiologist who studies infectious diseases in dairy cows discusses the outbreak, how cows recover and what the government is doing to keep the milk supply safe.
Cows typically get over avian flu in a couple of weeks, but it’s an economic blow for farms.
AP Photo/Charlie Litchfield
People should minimise contact with birds in areas affected by bird flu viruses, including farms and settings where live animals may be sold or slaughtered.
Sea lions killed by bird flu in Chile, April 2023.
Patricio Banda/EPA-EFE
A deadly strain of bird flu is circulating in animals. So far the virus has been detected in seabirds on islands near Antarctica. What does this mean for wildlife, tourism and research?
Few countries have had to deal with the scale of animal disease outbreaks South Africa has had to.
Getty Images
The three flu pandemics of the 20th century originated from birds, making it critical to fight bird flu. Breakthroughs in gene-editing chickens show promise for eliminating the disease in the future.
A farm manager walks among chickens at a South African chicken farm. Photo by Shiraaz Mohamed/AFP via Getty Images.
Frédéric Keck, Auteurs historiques The Conversation France
Vaccination against bird flu offers farmers hope, rather than being caught between the anguish of finding a sick bird and the desolation of having to slaughter their entire flock.
Australia’s biosecurity system is on high alert for alien invaders. Here’s a hit list of eight baddies we believe pose the greatest threat to Australia’s biodiversity.
The first sign of a new bird flu might be a dead seabird or marine mammal. Better surveillance of migratory birds and wildlife – and better public awareness – is crucial.
A guillemot nesting on a cliff ledge on Skomer Island, south Wales.
Andrew Astbury/Shutterstock
After previous public health emergencies likes SARS and H1N1, there was renewed investment in pandemic preparedness, but it was not sustained. We cannot make the same mistake after COVID-19.