Staying safe from bird flu

The bird flu has been ravaging the United States since 2022, with more and more mammals seeing the effects of the virus. Additionally, since the beginning of 2025, the US was hit with the first human fatality that was seemingly contracted through a backyard poultry flock.

The virus is highly pathogenic but there are ways to help mitigate infection.

Backyard poultry flocks are at risk of infection of bird flu. Waterfowl and shorebirds are natural carriers of the virus that shed the virus, but may not show symptoms themselves.

Avian influenza is rapidly fatal for poultry. The signs of infection include respiratory distress, gasping, extreme diarrhea, swelling of the head, neck and eyes and purple or dry combs. Of course, sudden, unexplained death is also a sign of the illness.

Turkeys have additional symptoms such as tremors, twisted necks, paralyzed wing and pedaling while laying down.

Protecting your flock can be fairly easy. Avoid attracting wild birds to your residence. Cover or enclose outdoor feeding areas for poultry and clean up any feed spills outside of that area.

Avoid visiting ponds or streams, especially with pets. If you do visit those areas, change your shoes and clothing before entering your poultry area.

Limit travel with your birds and bird swaps. Enclose the shelter for your poultry with smaller mesh that doesn’t allow other animals into the area with your birds. Additionally, keep feeders and waterers clean and out of reach of wild birds.

And one final reminder, don’t share or reuse equipment from other bird owners, such as egg cartons.

Other animals can also be infected with avian influenza. Recently it was determined that dolphins in Florida tested positive for bird flu and that contributed to their death. They are thought to have been infected from swimming under water birds.

Cats are at high risk of contracting the virus. In December 2024, a bird flu outbreak killed 20 big cats at a wildlife sanctuary in Washing according to NPR.

The virus affects felines quickly, often progressing from mild symptoms to fatal pneumonia within 24 hours. Cats on dairy farms that are fed milk from infected cows also show brain damage and die quickly.

Keeping your animals from ingesting raw milk, eggs or meat from infected animals is effective in halting the spread of the virus. This means not feeding your cats or pigs raw milk from infected cows, or not letting animals feed on dead carcasses of infected livestock, poultry or wild birds.

While bird flu can be easily transmitted from clothing or equipment contamination, from sick animals to people, and also from drinking raw milk, the risk to the general public is relatively low. As with any foodborne illness, eating uncooked or undercooked poultry or beef, or ingesting unpasteurized milk products can make you sick.

According to the CDC, cooking poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 degrees kills bacteria and viruses, including bird flu. To date, no one in the US has been sickened by eating properly handled food, but other countries have seen infections from people eating uncooked poultry and poultry products like blood.

If you find birds showing clinical signs of bird flu, of if you are finding sick birds or unusual bird deaths, notify Federal or State animal health officials through the state veterinarian, or through USDA hotline number at 1-866-536-7593.