Bird Flu Update: US H5N1 News Now
Good evening. This is your Bird Flu Update for October 27th, 2025, bringing you the latest developments on H5N1 in the United States.
The fall migration season has brought a surge in bird flu activity across the nation. According to the US Department of Agriculture, over the past 30 days, highly pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed in 38 flocks, affecting more than 4.4 million birds. This represents a dramatic increase compared to the same period last year.
Minnesota has been particularly hard hit, with two large commercial turkey farms reporting new outbreaks. In Becker County, 72,500 birds have been affected, while Kandiyohi County saw a flock of 32,900 birds impacted. Additional backyard poultry outbreaks have been reported in Montana, Arkansas, Idaho, and Oregon.
The timing could not be worse for American consumers. Since September 1st, outbreaks have wiped out 1.2 million turkeys, nearly 20 times more than during the same timeframe in 2024. Chicken farms producing eggs have lost 5.5 million hens, twice as many as last year. The American Farm Bureau Federation reports that over 2.2 million turkeys have been affected by the virus so far in 2025, pushing turkey production to its lowest level in 40 years.
Wild bird detections have spiked dramatically across multiple states. Recent identifications include mallard ducks in New Hampshire, black vultures in Indiana, Kentucky, Utah, and West Virginia, and various waterfowl species in Oregon, Wyoming, Montana, and Minnesota. A black bear in Colorado has also tested positive for a Eurasian H5 strain.
As of the CDC's latest update, 70 human cases have been confirmed in the United States, including one death. The current public health risk remains low, with no known person-to-person transmission at this time. Three states, Idaho, Nebraska, and Texas, have identified new outbreaks in dairy cows.
The ongoing government shutdown is complicating response efforts. Both the CDC and USDA have suspended routine communication with states, leaving officials without current guidance on detection and containment. The National Animal Laboratory Health Network has suspended its weekly information-sharing calls.
What does this mean for you? Turkey and egg prices are expected to rise as Thanksgiving approaches. However, cooking thoroughly eliminates any virus from food products, so there is no health threat from properly prepared poultry or eggs. If you work with birds or livestock, follow strict biosecurity measures and report any unusual deaths immediately.
Compared to previous weeks, we are seeing the full onset of the seasonal pattern that experts warned about. Richard Webby of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital states this will continue to be the new normal as wild birds migrate south each fall.
Thank you for tuning in to Bird Flu Update: US H5N1 News Now. Please join us again next week for the latest developments. This has been a Quiet Please production. For more information, check out Quiet Please Dot A I.
For more
http://www.quietplease.aiGet the best deals
https://amzn.to/3ODvOtaThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
