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CDC Declares End of H5N1 Bird Flu Emergency Response, but Vigilance Remains
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declared the end of its emergency response to H5N1 bird flu on July 2, following a relatively quiet summer with only sporadic outbreaks and no newly reported human cases. CDC officials emphasized that while avian influenza remains *widespread* in wild birds and continues to cause outbreaks in poultry and U.S. dairy cows, the current threat to human health is low. Of the 70 human cases recorded among American dairy and poultry workers since April 2024, two have resulted in deaths, but all recent surveillance points to declining risk. Ongoing monitoring by the CDC and USDA continues, with infection rates in animals now updated through USDA channels rather than the CDC website, reflecting a shift to routine surveillance according to High Plains Journal.
Despite this lull, scientists remain vigilant as the fall migration season approaches, which often signals higher risk for new outbreaks. According to the Los Angeles Times, only three new outbreaks—two in dairy herds in California and Arizona, and one in a Pennsylvania poultry flock—were reported nationally in the past month. However, researchers warn that conditions could change rapidly as wild birds congregate in greater numbers later in the year, potentially reintroducing or amplifying the virus among susceptible flocks and herds.
Internationally, outbreaks continue to impact Europe, with new cases in wild birds on the rise, the World Organization for Animal Health reports. Meanwhile, virologists continue to study emerging transmission routes within U.S. livestock. Recent research highlighted by CIDRAP found that common farm practices such as “milk snatching” among dairy cows, along with vectors like flies, may be contributing to ongoing farm-to-farm transmission, underscoring the need for enhanced biosecurity and new preventive strategies.
The economic toll of the outbreak remains severe. As of July 9, 2025, over 174 million birds have been killed or culled, making this America's most costly animal disease outbreak ever, according to Nature Communications. For dairy operations, a single large herd in Ohio lost nearly $750,000 in direct costs from decreased milk yield, animal deaths, and culling.
Looking ahead, experts remain concerned about possible virus mutations or new transmission patterns as bird migration resumes. Enhanced surveillance and vaccination efforts are actively being pursued, but the pandemic potential remains uncertain.
Thank you for tuning in. Join us next week for more on this developing story. This has been a Quiet Please production — for more, visit Quiet Please Dot A I.
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Published on 5 months, 1 week ago