The United States has reported its first case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), known as bird flu, in poultry on a farm in California. The strain detected was identified as H5N9, marking the first confirmed instance of this specific flu variant in poultry globally. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that nearly 119,000 birds were found dead by Dec. 2 after contracting the disease.
HPAI has caused significant global outbreaks, leading to massive culls and infections beyond birds, including dairy cows in the U.S. and a person in Louisiana. While H5N1 is the more common strain, H5N9 is rarer but poses unique challenges for control measures. The U.S. Department of Agriculture emphasized that this case requires careful monitoring and enhanced surveillance efforts to address potential risks.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-reported-first-outbreak-h5n9-bird-flu-poultry-woah-says-2025-01-27