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The current H5N1 bird flu outbreak has been ongoing since 2022, but recent developments have (understandably) made people a little nervous. Recent news about the first human case of a critically ill teenager in Canada who was hospitalized with the virus and the rising number of cases within the United States (55 total to be exact) have raised questions about how this strain of influenza (just a fancy word for “flu”) might evolve—and whether we could be headed for another lockdown in the coming months.
Canadian health authorities confirmed the teenager did not have any underlying health conditions before getting sick with the virus, per The BMJ. This is the first reported case of the H5N1 bird flu in humans in Canada. However, a November 22 release from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the first bird flu case in a child in the U.S.
Most cases so far have been reported among people who work with or around animals, including poultry and dairy workers. But the CDC was not able to determine how a Missouri man, who did have underlying health conditions, contracted the virus in September. “After several interrogations, public health authorities [determined] he had no contact with animals and did not consume unpasteurized milk products,” William Schaffner, MD, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, tells Well+Good. “We don’t know how he got his infection, but he did not spread it to anybody else.”
If you feel triggered by news of yet another scary virus that is baffling doctors and making people sick, we get it. Given the events of the COVID-19 pandemic in the past five years, it’s hard not to feel panicked.
This might bring you some relief: experts say there’s truly no need to panic right now. “Is there an immediate risk to the average person in the US? The risk is as close to zero as it can get,” Dr. Schaffner says. “Are we in public health and infectious diseases and the veterinarian community watching this like a hawk? You can be sure.”
Right now, there’s no evidence or suspicion that the currently circulating H5N1 strain of bird flu could start infecting a larger number of people. But should more people start to get sick, or if officials suspect it is quickly spreading from person to person, authorities have several tools at their disposal. “We have already developed a blueprint for making a bird flu vaccine. All that preliminary work is already done so if we have to start making bird flu vaccine, that can be done quickly,” Dr. Schaffner says. He also notes that antivirals used for influenza strains that make humans sick (like Tamiflu) can be used to treat bird flu as well. “We have treatment available should it become necessary.”
What is bird flu—and who is at risk?
The current bird flu outbreak has been developing for years. “There’s been a worldwide outbreak of H5N1 influenza among wild birds since 2022,” Donald Dumford III, MD, infectious disease physician at Cleveland Clinic, tells Well+Good. “When migratory birds are infected, they can spread the virus over large geographic areas, since some fly thousands of miles when they relocate,” Dr. Schaffner says. In other words, coming into contact with birds and their bodily fluids (like their saliva or poop) is the most common way that the virus spreads from birds to humans.
“There have been a number of spillover events to other animals, including a very small number of human cases,” Dr. Dumford says. The virus has infected a range of animals, including seals and minks, and many domestic chicken flocks and dairy herds.
The people who are most likely to contract bird flu right now are agricultural workers, Dr. Dumford adds. But many precautions have been put in place to protect them. “The CDC is currently recommending the use of personal protective equipment for those that work with farm animals, including fluid-resistant coveralls and aprons, eyewear, N95 respirators, hair covers, gloves, and boots,” he says.
The symptoms of bird flu in humans are similar to symptoms caused by other flu viruses, Dr. Schaffner says. They include cough, sore throat, runny nose, fatigue, and muscle aches. Conjunctivitis, or eye redness, is also a symptom, which likely occurs when agricultural workers touch an infected animal and then touch their face, Dr. Schaffner adds.
“For the most part, cases have been relatively mild to this point,” Dr. Dumford says. “Most people who have had H5N1 bird flu have had inflammation of the lining of the eye known as conjunctivitis along with fever, chills, cough, and sore throat.”
However, people who have underlying health conditions are more likely to get severely ill from bird flu than those who don’t, Dr. Schaffner mentions. (Note: underlying conditions are any chronic or long-term illness that requires ongoing treatment. This could range from conditions like diabetes and liver disease to autoimmune disorders and cancer.)
That said, there have been some anomalies during the current outbreak. The man in Missouri did not have contact with animals and got the virus anyway; the teenager in Canada has no underlying health conditions but is severely ill. Despite this, experts are *still* advising everyone to stay calm. “I wouldn’t be too worried at this point,” Dr. Dumford says.
What you need to know about the current outbreak
In the U.S., 55 human cases of bird flu have been reported. “All but one of these were linked to animal exposures and were discovered through the active monitoring that CDC is doing among agriculture workers. The fact that we have had only one case of H5N1 outside of known animal contact is great news at this point,” Dr. Dumford says.
According to the CDC, the current cases in the U.S. have been reported in California, Colorado, Michigan, Missouri, Oregon, Texas, and Washington. Dr. Dumford also adds that there have been international cases in Asia, Europe, and South America.
Could another pandemic be possible?
Here’s the tough part: we can’t say for sure that the H5N1 bird flu won’t evolve into a pandemic-level event. Nobody can say how the virus might evolve and whether it might eventually become more dangerous to humans.
“We can’t predict when or whether this will happen,” Dr. Schaffner says. He adds that “the current bird flu strain has been around the world for about 20 years, and it hasn’t happened yet.”
For what it’s worth, infectious disease experts don’t want you to lose any sleep over this right now. “At this point, the risk of widespread human cases leading to a pandemic is believed to be low,” Dr. Dumford says.
Some advice? Take a breath, unclench your jaw, and rest your shoulders.
How can you protect yourself?
Even though the risk of bird flu cases spreading toward pandemic-level numbers is low, we know by now that prevention is key. Most people probably aren’t engaging in activities that raise their risk of exposure to bird flu. But—just in case—here’s a quick checklist of prevention strategies that the CDC recommends:
- Don’t touch dead birds or birds that appear ill
- Don’t make direct contact with any wild birds
- Don’t consume raw (unpasteurized) dairy or poultry products
- Do wash your hands immediately after you come into contact with animals
- Do call your doctor if you’re experiencing any flu-like symptoms
The reason you shouldn’t consume raw dairy products is that “the pasteurization process kills microbes that can be in dairy products including the influenza virus,” Dr. Dumford says.
While you’re at it you should get your seasonal flu vaccine. “It’s not directed at bird flu per se, but it’s just an all-around good idea to reduce your risk for other influenza viruses circulating,” Dr. Dumford says.
“The World Health Organization (WHO) does constant surveillance for influenza,” Dr. Schaffner says. “Should this pick up the capacity to become transmissible [among people], I think we would know that quickly. Our science has advanced, and [from a surveillance point of view] we are much more sophisticated about this today.”
The bottom line, experts say, is that though there are some unanswered questions about the current bird flu outbreak, you definitely don’t need to spiral about this today. And if a larger outbreak comes around (and let’s hope it doesn’t), we’ll be here to update you on the latest news.