CDC A(H5N1) Bird Flu Response Update June 21, 2024

The CDC continues to respond to the public health challenge posed by a multistate outbreak of avian influenza A(H5N1) virus, or "H5N1 bird flu," in dairy cows and other animals in the United States. CDC is working in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), state public health and animal health officials, and other partners using a One Health approach. To date, there have been 3 human cases associated with an ongoing multistate outbreak of A(H5N1) in U.S. dairy cows. A Based on the information available at this time, CDC's current H5N1 bird flu human health risk assessment for the U.S. general public remains low. All three sporadic cases had direct contact with sick cows. On the animal health side, USDA is reporting that 118 dairy cow herds in 12 U.S. states have confirmed cases of avian influenza A(H5N1) virus infections in dairy cows as the number of infected herds continues to grow.