Bird flu in humans: What to know – Axios

A public health sign warns people about bird flu in May 2022 in Brighton, United Kingdom. Photo: Andrew Aitchison/In pictures via Getty Images

Bird flu is spreading among dairy cows in at least three U.S. states, and one person in Texas has been infected with the virus, health officials said.

The big picture: More than 80 countries have reported bird flu outbreaks in in poultry and wild birds in the past two years, according to the World Health Organization. Ten countries across three continents have reported virus outbreaks in mammals.

Bird flu is a disease caused by infection with avian influenza Type A viruses, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It spreads globally among susceptible birds through contact as an infected bird sheds the virus in its saliva, nasal secretions and feces, according to the CDC.

The viruses normally spread among birds, according to the World Health Organization.

Yes, but: An increasing number of aviation flu cases among mammals, including cattle, "raises concern that the virus might adapt to infect humans more easily," the WHO says.

While human infection is possible, its occurrence is rare.

Threat level: A person in Texas was being treated for the H5N1 strain of the flu after exposure to dairy cattle presumed to be infected with the virus, health officials said Monday.

The bird flu was recently detected in unpasteurized milk samples and swabs from dairy herds in Texas, Kansas and Michigan.

Worth noting: The bird flu outbreak has contributed to rising egg prices.

Go deeper: Person in Texas contracted bird flu after exposure to infected cows

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Bird flu in humans: What to know - Axios