South Africa has reported the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza, or bird flu, on two poultry farms in the country, the World Organisation for Animal Health said on Wednesday.

Doug Corwin knew there was a problem at his family's commercial duck farm in Long Island when he spotted scores of dead or lethargic birds during a barn inspection in January.

The H5N1 bird flu virus has affected all 50 states in the US. Since March 2024, the virus has infected more than 1,000 dairy herds across the US, with more than 70 human infections.

Bird flu, also known as H5N1, has been around for decades. But the discovery in 2024 that the virus spread from wild birds to cows came as a surprise to public health experts, according to officials.

Experts urge U.S. to prepare for possible new pandemic as H5N1 bird flu outbreak spreads with dairy animal and human cases. Here's what to know.

The H5N1 avian influenza virus, primarily infecting birds, has raised alarm with human cases for the last few years. Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, and severe respiratory distress.

Virologists across the globe are raising alarms over the spread of the H5N1 avian flu virus, which is now infecting not just birds, but cattle and humans. While the U.S. Centers for Disease ...

H5N1 Outbreak In The US: H5N1 is a highly infectious respiratory disease that can cause a range of diseases in humans, from mild to severe. In some cases, it can also be fatal.

H5N1 2.3.4.4b has caused 70 human cases as of March 2025 in the US alone but does not transmit easily between humans. It remains a virus adapted to birds.

Since 1959 the avian flu virus H5N1 has been popping up around the globe. Now scientists believe it could spark the next pandemic. Along the untamed coast of southern Victoria, where thyme rice ...

Until recently, Nelson and other bird flu experts held out hope that, with some basic interventions, the H5N1 outbreak among cows and poultry would burn itself out and that cases among wild ...

However, it’s not certain moving forward how effective health officials will be at containing H5N1 and other bird flu strains in the U.S., given the Trump administration’s general ineptitude.