Bird flu is increasingly making state and national headlines: The first U.S. person with a severe case of the virus died in early January, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. And just days later, the San Francisco Department of Public Health announced its first case—a child with the telltale signs of fever and pinkeye who tested positive for the H5N1, the type of influenza A that causes bird flu. The child has since recovered.
Both of these developments came shortly after California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in late 2024 to strengthen California’s response to bird flu. The virus has spread in at least 16 states among dairy cattle following its first confirmed detection in Texas and Kansas in March 2024.
But what is the real threat to the average person? And what precautions, if any, should people be taking today as bird flu expands beyond its typical winged victims? Melanie Ott, MD, PhD, director of the Gladstone Institute of Virology, shares insights into the developing situation.