H5N1 Bird Flu: What You Need to Know
The Lowdown on Immunity
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a warning: the US population has extremely low to no immunity to H5N1, the bird flu virus. This news is particularly concerning given the recent spread of the virus on dairy farms in the United States.
What Exactly is Bird Flu?
Bird flu, also known as avian flu or avian influenza, is a naturally occurring illness that affects birds. Just as certain flu viruses spread among humans, bird flu viruses can spread among birds. In December 2021, a few weeks after the Omicron variant emerged, the H5N1 strain of bird flu began to circulate among wild birds worldwide.
Since then, the global avian flu outbreak has devastated wild and domestic bird populations. The H5N1 strain, in particular, has been responsible for the deaths of millions of birds.
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