Is Bird Flu a Risk to Humans?

Are humans at risk from bird flu?

So far, that’s not the case. About 10 instances of bird flu in humans have been reported since January 2022 (one in the U.S.), and health experts maintain the current risk to humans is low, especially among those who are not in close contact with birds.

The reason for the low risk? We have yet to see human-to-human transmission, says Sabrina Assoumou, M.D., an infectious disease physician at Boston Medical Center and an assistant professor of medicine at Boston University’s Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine. All reported cases in humans involved recent exposure to sick or dead poultry. “And that’s what would concern us a lot,” Assoumou adds, noting the high mortality rate of this H5N1 strain.

The circulating strain does not have the ability to easily bind to receptors in the upper respiratory tract of humans, which the CDC says would be needed to easily infect or transmit among people. That said, influenza viruses are known to evolve rapidly. “So we’re watching it very closely,” Assoumou says.

What about bird flu vaccines and treatments?

Your seasonal flu shot won’t protect you from a bird flu infection, but the CDC’s stockpile includes vaccine formulas that target bird flu. And one, in particular, closely matches the strain currently circulating. The CDC’s Uyeki said it “could be used to produce a vaccine for people, if needed, and would provide good protections against the circulating H5N1 viruses.” The CDC says it has been shared with vaccine manufacturers.

Similarly, the antiviral treatments approved for seasonal influenza are recommended for people infected with avian influenza, including H5N1, according to the CDC. Because antiviral treatments work best when started as soon as symptoms begin, contact your state or local health department and a health care provider right away if you get sick after being in close contact with potentially sick or potentially infected birds.

Symptoms of bird flu and seasonal flu are similar. Keep an eye out for:

• Fever
• Chills
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Shortness of breath
• Headaches
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Body aches
• Diarrhea

What can you do to lower your risk of infection?

The advice right now from health experts is to exercise caution around sick or dead animals.

“If you own poultry or have birds on your property and any [of them] come down with an illness or die, do not handle the birds,” Binnicker says. “Contact your local or state public health officials to come and investigate.” (To keep your flocks from getting infected, take steps to prevent their exposure to wild birds, which carry the disease and don’t always appear sick.)

The same goes if you’re out hunting and come across dead animals or birds — don’t touch the carcass. “Because, again, the cases that have occurred in humans have been from direct interaction and exposure with an infected or dead animal,” Binnicker says.

Also, be sure to cook your poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit to kill bacteria and viruses, including bird flu viruses, the CDC says.

“And then from the human side, just the lessons that we’ve learned through the pandemic: If you have a respiratory illness, stay home. If you have to go out in public, wear a mask and go get tested, because finding out what the cause of the disease is, that is also still very important,” Binnicker says. A health care provider can test you for bird flu with a swab of the nose or throat.