The United States Department of Agriculture confirmed new cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza over the weekend but cautioned the outbreak isn’t a direct threat to humans.
Driving the news: The USDA said it had found cases of the bird flu in samples collected from a Kansas flock and an Illinois flock.
- Both flocks have been quarantined.
- Birds at each location “will be depopulated to prevent the spread of the disease,” according to the USDA.
- “Birds from the flocks will not enter the food system.”
Worth noting: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that the recent cases are not an immediate public health concern.
- “No human cases of these avian influenza viruses have been detected in the United States,” the USDA said.
Catch up quick: There have been a number of bird flu outbreaks across the country in recent months, though none of them have presented a direct concern for the human population.
- Waterfowl in Maryland and Virginia tested positive for the highly pathogenic avian influenza in February, per The Washington Post.
- Highly lethal bird flu outbreaks were found in Kentucky and Virginia, as I wrote for the Deseret News.
- There were also confirmed bird flu cases in Indiana, per Reuters.