The US is experiencing a surge in bird flu outbreaks, with cases reported in commercial and backyard flocks, at zoos, and in parks. Despite health officials’ assurances that the risk to the public remains low, the outbreak has passed troubling milestones, including mass cullings and closed public areas.
The Trump administration’s halt on government health agency communications has raised concerns about the continued spread of the virus. Infections have taken the lives of animals across the US, with reported cases at multiple zoos and aquariums, including the Dallas Zoo, Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, and Honolulu Zoo.
Zoo officials are taking precautions, with Dr. Anne Burgdorf-Moisuk stating that while the virus has mutated, protocols for disease outbreaks like HPAI remain in place. The US has also reported its first outbreak of H5N9 bird flu on a duck farm in California.
With 67 human cases and one death reported since March 2024, mostly among dairy and farm workers, health officials are ramping up testing in raw milk and cheese. Hospitals treating individuals for the flu are now required to test patients for bird flu within 24 hours.
Experts say monitoring the situation is critical, especially during flu season, as hospitals become overwhelmed with other viruses. While a pandemic may not be inevitable, some have expressed concern that the virus has the capacity to spread further.
Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/bird-flu-parks-zoos-closures-b2687083.html