But it's rare for the bird flu to be transferred from one human to another, according to the AAFP. In order to do so, the virus must transform into a human flu virus.

Bird flu wasn’t on Tim Hanson’s mind when he fed his cats specialty pet food containing raw chicken. “You go to the pet shop and it was the premium raw food,” he said.

But flu viruses evolve rapidly, and that H5 2.3.4.4b has shuffled genes with other viruses more than once, creating lots of variants and subvariants. More recently, another variant called D1.1 has ...

Joseph Journell cuddles with his cat, Big Boy, who is recuperating from the H5N1 bird flu on Jan. 2, 2025, in San Bernardino, California. Big Boy spent eight days in a veterinarian hospital.

Bird flu is not a new virus, explained Gino Lorenzoni, associate professor of poultry science and avian health at Pennsylvania State University. It was first identified in Northern Italy in the late ...

As outbreaks continue throughout the U.S., bird flu poses a threat to birds, animals and some humans. While the risk to the general public is low, the virus can cause mild to severe illness ...