Neither New York nor Florida, these are the states with avian flu cases in the United States
Two more states have been added to the eleven that have already reported bird flu cases bringing the total number of people affected to 70 nationwide.
Bird flu has been on the march across the United States for three years now after it was first detected among wild aquatic birds, commercial poultry and backyard or hobbyist flocks. Over 162 million poultry have been infected with bird flu leading to mass culling of flocks which has been responsible for an egg shortage nationwide driving the price of this staple food sky-high.
The first reported infections among dairy cows, which occurred in Texas and Kansas, were reported nearly a year ago. Since then, cases have been confirmed in 972 dairy herds in 16 states according to bird flu data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Domestic pets have also been infected with bird flu.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it is working to “swiftly rectify the situation" after employees who were working on the nation's bird flu response were fired over the weekend. @rachelvscott reports. pic.twitter.com/cUbQsbi8ep
— Good Morning America (@GMA) February 19, 2025
Bird flu cases rise to 70 across 13 states
For now, bird flu cases among humans have been limited mainly to those who have extended exposure to infected animals but there is no indication at this time that the virus is spreading human to human. Despite one reported fatality associated with bird flu in Louisiana, the CDC says the current public health risk is low.
The latest reported cases, one in Wyoming and another in Ohio, bring the total number of confirmed infections to 70 people. Both individuals in Wyoming and Ohio were hospitalized for their illness, becoming the third and fourth related to the virus nationwide that have been confirmed.
Those two infections are the first to be reported in either state, raising the total to 13 states with confirmed human cases. The states in which cases of bird flu have confirmed include California, Colorado, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
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