In the latest developments on bird flu here in the United States, the H5N1 avian influenza virus remains a top concern for both agriculture and public health officials. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois Department of Agriculture, Illinois has now been declared officially unaffected by H5N1 in dairy cattle—a notable achievement for the state's dairy sector due to a coordinated response and tight monitoring. Authorities are reminding residents to continue taking precautions, especially as wild waterfowl migration season ramps up, which raises the risk for new introductions of the virus into domestic flocks.

Elsewhere in the Midwest, new outbreaks have been confirmed in commercial poultry operations across Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship reports this is the state’s eighth outbreak this year in domestic poultry. The increased vigilance follows last year’s major wave of infection that resulted in millions of poultry being culled and led to higher egg and poultry prices.

Turning to the West, California has officially ended its bird flu emergency. This comes after a devastating season in which the virus swept through most of the state’s dairies and a significant number of dairy workers were infected. According to California state veterinarian Dr. Annette Jones, while the number of new cases has slowed, officials remain cautious, noting some signs of possible re-infection among cattle herds. She urges ongoing surveillance and protective measures for workers in affected sectors.

Globally, the situation remains fluid. The Hong Kong Department of Health reports, as of October 5, new avian influenza cases in wild birds in Austria and continued outbreaks among both wild and domestic birds in countries such as Argentina, Vietnam, and the United States. Notably, there have been no new confirmed human cases in the U.S. in the past several weeks, though earlier this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed a total of 71 human cases in the country since 2024. In contrast, Cambodia recently reported additional human cases, highlighting ongoing risk outside North America.

Meanwhile in Europe, a farm in Northern Ireland has ordered major culls following a confirmed outbreak, and Bulgaria has reported several new cases in poultry farms, showcasing the disease’s continued spread with the approach of peak migratory seasons.

Health agencies continue to stress that the risk to the general public remains low, but they urge people not to handle sick or dead wild birds and to immediately report unusual bird deaths to local authorities. Medical officials remind anyone with flu-like symptoms and recent exposure to birds to seek care quickly, as early treatment is key.

Thank you for tuning in to this week’s bird flu update. Come back next week for more. This has been a Quiet Please production. For more, check out Quiet Please Dot A I.

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