Highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 has caused 71 confirmed human cases across 13 US states since 2024, with ongoing exposure through dairy farms and poultry operations. As of June 2026, cases have been confirmed in California, Colorado, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Three cases involved unknown exposure sources. Two deaths have occurred. CDC considers current risk to the general public as low, but monitors closely for signs of person-to-person transmission.
H5N1 was first identified in humans in Hong Kong in 1997 during an outbreak linked to live poultry markets. Since 2003, it has caused numerous outbreaks in bird populations across Asia, Africa, and parts of Europe, leading to sporadic but often severe human infections and significant concerns for pandemic potential.
Avian Influenza H5N1 primarily spreads to humans through direct, prolonged contact with infected poultry (live or dead), their secretions (saliva, feces), or contaminated environments (e.g., surfaces in live bird markets). Human-to-human transmission is rare and has not been sustained, but close contact with an infected person might pose a limited risk.
Contagious Period: Varies by disease
4 countries with reported activity. Updated from real-time surveillance data.
1 state with reported activity. Click a state for detailed surveillance.
Real-time intelligence from global health monitoring and AI-powered surveillance
Data sources: BEACON, ProMED, WHO, CDC, and 50+ national health agencies
✓ Live data updated in real-time from global health sources
Poultry producer Inghams announces move after brown skua confirmed to have virus and petrel being tested, in first cases seen on Australia's mainland
Poultry farms in Western Australia have gone into lockdown after confirmation the deadly H5N1 bird flu has arrived on the country's mainland.
On Monday, the Inghams Group - Australia's largest poultry producer - announced a "complete lockdown" in WA, despite no commercial detections of H5N1.
It came after a brown skua, found on a remote beach nea
📰 162 news sources reporting on this story.
SYDNEY, June 19 (Reuters) - Australia has detected its first suspected mainland case of H5N1 bird flu in a remote part of the country's southwest, authorities said on Friday.
A migratory sea bird known as a brown skua found in Western Australia's Cape Le Grand National Park tested positive for avian influenza, and further testing is being conducted to confirm the strain, said state Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis.
"We are taking the suspected case of H5 bird flu seriously," Ja
📰 39 news sources reporting on this story.
Bird flu has killed thousands of southern elephant seal pups on remote Antarctic islands belonging to Australia, new research has shown.
Heard and McDonald Islands, about 4,000 km (2,485 miles) south-west of Australia, are home to over one million breeding seabirds and seals.
Scientists, using data from last October and this January, estimate about 13,000 baby seals from a group of 17,000 on Heard Island were killed by the H5N1 strain of bird flu since last August, more than 75% of the entire g
📰 14 news sources reporting on this story.
WOAH's 93rd General Session has formalized a significant normative shift in avian influenza governance, moving from market-level containment to supply-chain-wide biosecurity within a One Health framework. The practical impact of the revised standards will depend on member states' implementation capacity and compliance.
Source: BEACON - View Full Report
SYDNEY, June 19 (Reuters) - Australia has detected its first suspected mainland case of H5N1 bird flu in a remote part of the country's southwest, authorities said on Friday.
A migratory sea bird known as a brown skua found in Western Australia's Cape Le Grand National Park tested positive for avian influenza, and further testing is being conducted to confirm the strain, said state Agriculture Minister Jackie Jarvis.
"We are taking the suspected case of H5 bird flu seriously," Jarvis said. "If
We are providing an unedited version of this manuscript to give early access to its findings. Before final publication, the manuscript will undergo further editing. Please note there may be errors present which affect the content, and all legal disclaimers apply.
High pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) has caused widespread sickness and mortality in wildlife, especially since the emergence of a novel H5 virus belonging to clade 2.3.4.4b in 2021. The ongoing panzootic caused by this lineage has
📰 15 news sources reporting on this story.
Australia has recorded its first-ever detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5, identified in a brown skua in a remote area of southern Western Australia, with a suspect-positive result in a co-located giant petrel pending confirmatory testing. The event marks a significant departure from Australia's zero-case H5 baseline and is being managed under national response frameworks, with no current evidence of spread to poultry or humans. Expanded wildlife surveillance and the outcomes of pending confirmatory tests will be critical in determining the scope of this incursion.
Source: BEACON - View Full Report
This event envelope contains reports on avian influenza in Hong Kong.
Source: BEACON - View Full Report
Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen announces a major policy shift allowing the use of vaccination to combat highly pathogenic avian influenza.
South Africa's poultry industry is set for a major regulatory shift after Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen moved to amend the country's animal disease framework to allow the use of vaccinations against highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), in what government describes as a break from an "outdated" disease control model.
The Ministry of Agricu
📰 12 news sources reporting on this story.
Honduras has confirmed highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 in wild black vultures (Coragyps atratus) in the rural Lempira–Copán Department border zone. Domestic poultry and human populations remain unaffected as of the reporting date. The primary concern is preventing spillover to backyard and commercial poultry, with the wildlife–livestock interface and rural human exposure as the key risk factors to monitor.
Source: BEACON - View Full Report
Track Avian Influenza H5N1 (Bird Flu) and 200+ other diseases with personalized alerts
Trusted information from leading health organizations
Global disease surveillance and guidelines from the World Health Organization
View WHO Resources →Disease information on Virus Watcher is reviewed by our Chief Epidemiologist, a former CDC lead analyst for FluSight forecasting. Outbreak data is aggregated from verified sources including BEACON, ProMED, WHO, CDC, and 50+ national health agencies. This information is for educational purposes and should not replace professional medical advice.
Last reviewed: 2026-06-24
Get real-time alerts and intelligence on Avian Influenza H5N1 (Bird Flu) and 200+ other diseases. Used by healthcare systems, EMS, schools, and travelers worldwide.
Open Web App Enterprise Solutions