The first case of avian flu in a commercial poultry operation has been found, according to the Georgia Department of Agriculture.
The case of the Canadian teen and the death of a Louisiana man are stark reminders of bird flu’s capacity to ignite serious illness.
The U.S. has reported its first death due to bird flu, aka H5N1. How deadly is H5N1? Experts discuss bird flu fatality rate amid ongoing outbreak.
Avian flu is rampant in poultry farms and in wild birds in the U.S. Every mutation brings the virus one step closer to the brink of human-to-human transmission, but predicting whether a virus will cross that threshold remains an uncertain science.
The death comes at a time when the H5N1 virus has recently undergone an unusual mutation that is causing concern to the World Health Organization.
The Connecticut Department of Agriculture confirmed the presence of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1, commonly known as bird flu, in a flock of chickens, ducks and peacocks on Jan. 15. These birds were family pets and had been in close contact with wild waterfowl from a nearby pond, according to the release.
Seven states lost more than 1 million birds to avian influenza during the past year, while two lost more than 10 million.
California, Minnesota, South Dakota Michigan and Iowa all reached double digits when it came to flocks infected.
The first case of bird flu found in a commercial poultry flock in Georgia prompted officials to suspend all poultry exhibitions and auction markets in the state.
Moderna has been awarded approximately $590 million from the federal government to help speed up the development of an mRNA-based bird flu vaccine, health officials said.
In less than two weeks, a second case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has been identified on a commercial poultry farm in Jay County, according to the Indiana State