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Wednesday, June 7, 2023 | 
U.S. & World

This new bird flu outbreak is not a threat to humans, officials say

Reports of the bird flu continue to circulate throughout the country

By Herb Scribner Herb Scribnerhscribner@deseretnews.com
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A flock of young turkeys,

A flock of young turkeys stand in a barn at the Moline family turkey farm after the Mason, Iowa, farm was restocked on Aug. 10, 2015.

Charlie Neibergall, Associated Press

An infectious strain of avian influenza found outside of Washington, D.C., does not pose a threat to humans, The Washington Post reports.

What happened: Waterfowl in Maryland and Virginia have tested positive for the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in recent days, per The Washington Post.

Bird flu symptoms: The D.C. nonprofit City Wildlife said in a statement to The Washington Post that symptoms for avian influenza in birds include:

  • Sneezing.
  • Coughing.
  • Walking in circles.
  • Swimming in circles.
  • Swollen legs.
  • Swollen feet.
Related

A quick look back: There have been a number of bird flu cases across the country in recent weeks.

  • Highly lethal bird flu outbreaks have been found in Kentucky and Virginia, as I wrote for the Deseret News. This directly put some chicken linked to Tyson Foods in danger. The infected birds were culled, stopping the food from entering the food system.
  • There were also confirmed cases in Indiana, per Reuters.

The bottom line: So far, it seems like bird flu cases are spreading throughout the country. However, avian influenza does not pose a threat to humans.