Bird Flu Epidemic 

Spencer Thomson 

May 16, 2025

Starting in April, 2024, the H5N1 bird flu was found in cow milk in multiple states. Since then, the bird flu has spread across the country and has infected many different types of birds and poses a threat to poultry production and food sources. 

According to the CDC, there are 70 confirmed cases of the H5 bird flu in the United States. 41 cases are in cattle herds, 24 in poultry farms, and the rest are found in other animals and different media of transmission. While the bird flu serves little threat to humans, it is still a danger to the United States. 

According to a study by National Beef Wire, poultry production and exports produce $663.64 billion to the United States, or 2.29% of the United States’s GDP. The avian influenza poses a serious threat to this industry. Poultry (chickens, ducks, turkeys, and many others) are especially susceptible to the avian flu, causing severe illness and often sudden death in these kinds of birds. This Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) affects the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts of birds, causing them to shed the virus in their saliva, mucus, and feces. Anyone working around birds or in common contact or exposure to bird droppings is likely to spread the virus. This flu is especially dangerous because it has crossed the species barrier, infecting other livestock (cows) and recently began infecting humans. The chance of human death is very slim, but like any other virus, it is highly adaptive and it can rapidly mutate, allowing it to travel from one species to the next. 

The CDC has imposed many precautions to prevent the spread of this deadly bird flu. Multiple regulations are imposed to those who work with avian species to prevent further infection. For example, I volunteer at a zoo and work in spaces where multiple bird species are present. Before entering my building, I must change my shoes to a special pair I use indoors, and must dip my indoor shoes in disinfectant before entering or exiting the building. This is supposed to prevent any virus from bird feces I may have stepped in from infecting any of the birds I work with. The reason we all have to follow these rules is less for the protection of outdoor birds, but for the ones in our care. If any cases are found in the zoo, the CDC may euthanize all the birds to prevent an outbreak. Since the bird flu is so infectious and deadly to poultry, it is a major risk to keep any birds with the flu. The poultry industry is a major part of the California economy, and all measures must be taken to prevent an outbreak.