Bird flu, or highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1, continues to pressure the United States and international health systems, despite a recent slowdown in reported human infections. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, seventy human H5N1 cases were confirmed in the US between March 2024 and May 2025, including four hospitalizations and one fatality. While this is significantly lower than the nearly 50 percent global fatality rate historically seen with H5N1, US experts warn that the risk has not disappeared. A new CDC-backed study published this week in Nature Medicine—led by epidemiologist Melissa Rolfes—notes that almost all US cases involved people regularly exposed to infected animals, such as farm and food processing workers. However, a handful of severe infections traced to backyard poultry suggest that even the general public is not immune from risk. The latest CDC FluView update shows that, for the week ending August 23, influenza activity remains exceptionally low—at only 0.4 percent of specimens testing positive—and there have been no new confirmed bird flu cases among humans in August. But experts interviewed by The Sick Times caution that this does not mean the threat is over, citing limited testing in some states and among vulnerable worker populations, where flu symptoms may go unrecognized or unreported.The US government maintains a national vaccine stockpile, but neither the Biden nor Trump administrations have authorized broad vaccination or personal protective equipment distribution for at-risk agricultural workers. Some farmworkers told The Sick Times they were unaware of bird flu risks even more than a year after the US’s first human H5N1 case, underscoring a gap in outreach and protection.Poultry industries remain on alert as highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks have affected more than a hundred million birds in North America since 2024, devastating farms and disrupting supply chains. Flight Control, a major agriculture biosecurity group, emphasizes that wild birds, especially Canada geese and certain waterfowl, remain key vectors for spreading H5N1, contaminating farm environments through droppings and direct contact.Globally, Cambodia recently reported a surge in human H5N1 infections, including six fatalities since January, illustrating the ongoing concern at the human-animal interface, while outbreaks in poultry continue across Asia.That’s all for your bird flu update. Thank you for tuning in, and make sure to come back next week for more. This has been a Quiet Please production—check out Quiet Please Dot A I for more.For more http://www.quietplease.aiGet the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOtaThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

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