Bird Flu Flies Across the States
The viral infection known as bird flu has become a growing concern in the United states.
Avian influenza or “bird flu” is a viral infection spread primarily through birds, but is also spread through cows and other animals. Bird flu was first identified in 1996 in southern China according to the CDC. It was found in waterfowl and spread into Asia and Africa in the early 2000’s, continuing to spread across the globe, and reaching the United states in late 2021.
The USDA blames the recent surge in bird flu for the prices of eggs being driven up, since it is estimated that more than twenty million chickens died in the epidemic according to CBS. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. , the Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Trump administration, is proposing to let the virus continue on farms to see which birds survive.
He hopes this unconventional approach will allow people to identify and preserve birds immune to the disease, claiming this will then cause the prices of eggs to lower again. In an interview with CBS, Dr.Céline Gounder, an infectious disease expert, says Kennedy’s idea will logistically not work due to the fact that there is no genetic diversity in poultry, making bird flu 100% lethal.
The signs and symptoms of bird flu are similar to, but not limited to that of the common flu. Symptoms can be anything from coughing, congestion, runny noses, fevers, sore throats, body aches, fatigue, shortness of breath and more. The most likely cause of it is being in close or direct contact with the infected poultry, through nasal secretions, saliva, or feces according to Nurse Practitioner Amanda Leonard in an interview with 7News. Symptoms develop anywhere from two to ten days after exposure.
There is currently no official test for bird flu, but testing for influenza A can show similar results if you are positive. While there have only been three confirmed human cases of bird flu in 2025, nurses and Doctors strongly suggest practicing healthy habits, including washing your hands, eating healthy, and staying away from infected birds and animals.
