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"Vigilance Remains Crucial as CDC Ends Bird Flu Emergency Response"
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has officially ended its emergency response to the H5N1 bird flu outbreak in the United States, a decision announced earlier this month and marking a turning point after more than a year of monitoring and containment. The CDC credited a sharp reduction in both animal and human infections for the shift, noting that there have been no new human cases in the U.S. since February 2025. The emergency response, initiated in April 2024, responded to outbreaks affecting poultry, wild birds, and cattle in several states, which cumulatively resulted in 70 human cases and one fatality, with most cases concentrated on the West Coast, particularly in California and Washington. According to federal agencies, only isolated new infections have been reported in animals in recent weeks, including a cattle case in Arizona and three small poultry outbreaks in Arizona, Idaho, and Pennsylvania.
Despite the end of emergency protocols, the CDC and USDA have emphasized ongoing vigilance. Bird flu surveillance will now be incorporated into routine influenza monitoring, and agricultural biosecurity remains crucial. Some infectious disease experts, such as Michael Kinch of Stony Brook University, have expressed concern that scaling back focused efforts might leave the country less prepared if the virus mutates or begins spreading efficiently between humans.
In a new development, California authorities in July reported the first U.S. detection of the H5N9 bird flu strain at a commercial duck farm in Merced County. The response included quarantines and the preemptive culling of over 119,000 birds to contain the outbreak. No human cases of H5N9 or spread to other farms have been reported, and experts currently assess its risk to humans as low. Nevertheless, California continues to witness record levels of avian influenza outbreaks among poultry operations.
Globally, countries such as Cambodia have reported a striking increase in human H5N1 infections. Between January and July 2025, Cambodian health officials confirmed 11 laboratory cases, including six fatalities, according to Global Biodefense. All patients had recent contact with infected poultry, underscoring ongoing risks at the human-animal boundary. The World Health Organization notes that global human H5N1 infections since 2003 now tally 986 confirmed cases with 473 deaths.
While public health officials in the U.S. are cautiously optimistic, they remind the public that continued preparedness and scientific monitoring remain essential. Thank you for tuning in to this update. Be sure to come back next week for more. This has been a Quiet Please production—visit QuietPlease.ai for more.
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Published on 5 months, 2 weeks ago