On November 15, 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed a case of highly pathogenic bird flu in a person in Oregon. This individual is linked to an outbreak associated with a commercial poultry operation in the state, where the virus has affected 150,000 birds.
In total, 52 individuals across seven states have tested positive for the virus in the U.S. this year. The cases primarily involve farm workers with known exposure to infected animals, with the exception of one case reported in Missouri.
The CDC has indicated that there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission and that the risk to the general public remains low. Health officials are advising farm workers who have been in contact with infected animals to undergo testing, even if they show no symptoms.
Since 2022, the H5N1 bird flu outbreak has led to the culling of over 100 million poultry birds in the United States, marking the most severe outbreak in the country’s history.