This is Bird Flu Update: US H5N1 News Now, a news-focused podcast bringing you the most current developments on avian influenza in the United States.
As of this week in September 2025, the H5N1 avian influenza outbreak continues its unprecedented impact across multiple species and states. According to the CDC, the total number of confirmed human H5N1 cases has risen to 70 since the start of the current outbreak in 2024. Most recently, the majority of these new cases have been in California, with 38 human infections confirmed—36 of those linked to exposure on dairy farms. Other states reporting recent human cases include Colorado, Michigan, Texas, and Washington. Notably, Louisiana reported the nation’s first H5N1-related death in a poultry worker earlier this summer.
On the animal side, the USDA reports ongoing detections of H5N1 in wild birds, poultry, and most troublingly, dairy herds. Over 989 dairy herds spanning 17 states have now tested positive. California, Texas, and Michigan have been hardest hit among cattle. Since April 2024, more than 90 million chickens and turkeys in both commercial and backyard flocks have been affected nationwide, and sporadic outbreaks continue to be reported.
The CDC has maintained that the general public’s risk from H5N1 remains low. However, there is a moderate to high risk for those with close contact to infected animals or contaminated environments, particularly farm workers and those handling raw animal products. The CDC is tracking possible exposures and monitoring more than 18,600 people as part of enhanced surveillance protocols.
In government updates, the CDC recently shifted to monthly reporting and streamlined its H5N1 data with regular flu surveillance. The USDA has advised continued strict biosecurity on farms and is urging people to avoid raw or unpasteurized dairy products, as virus RNA has been detected in raw milk.
This past week, no new nationwide restrictions or lockdowns were implemented, but local containment actions, such as targeted flock culling and enhanced testing, remain in place. Federal guidance for clinicians was updated to reinforce procedures for identifying and isolating potential cases and to advise on monitoring farm workers exposed to infected animals.
On the research front, sequence analysis by CDC revealed a handful of human H5N1 cases carrying genetic changes that modestly reduce susceptibility to the antiviral drug oseltamivir, used to treat flu. Scientists also detected a mutation in the polymerase protein of H5N1 from a human case in California. These changes are being closely watched, but there is currently no evidence of sustained human transmission.
Veterinary and medical experts are closely coordinating under the One Health initiative, emphasizing the interconnectedness of animal and human health for containment and early warning. The CDC stresses that, so far, there is no evidence of person-to-person spread of H5N1 in the US.
Compared to previous weeks, the
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