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H5N1 Bird Flu Persists Globally: WHO Monitors Outbreaks in Poultry and Wildlife with No New Human Cases
This is Bird Flu Bulletin: Daily H5N1 Update from Quiet Please for Wednesday, August 6, 2025.
Top Stories
First, the World Health Organization reports ongoing outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 in poultry and wild birds across multiple continents, with continued spillover to mammals seen primarily in North America and Southeast Asia. While avian cases persist, human infections remain rare but are drawing heightened international concern as the virus continues its rapid genetic evolution.
Second, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a situational update confirming no new human H5N1 cases detected in the last 24 hours. The cumulative national count since February 2024 holds steady, with the CDC reiterating that public health risk remains low, but close monitoring is ongoing—especially among individuals with direct exposure to poultry or dairy cattle.
Third, the Food and Agriculture Organization’s current alert highlights 16 new outbreaks in poultry in the past day. Authorities in Brazil and Vietnam have intensified livestock movement controls and announced expanded culling and surveillance following detection of H5N1 in previously unaffected commercial flocks.
Case Numbers Update
Based on CDC and FAO data through this afternoon, global confirmed human H5N1 cases remain unchanged compared to yesterday, with 0 new reports globally. Cumulative human infections since 2003 remain just above 890, according to the latest World Health Organization tallies. North American jurisdictions continue to monitor hundreds of exposed workers, but all recent test results have been negative.
New Guidance
Today, the WHO’s Western Pacific office reiterated that avian influenza transmission to humans is primarily linked to direct exposure to infected birds or contaminated environments. The agency advises national authorities to maintain rigorous surveillance in poultry, with a renewed emphasis on rapid reporting and coordinated culling if cases are detected. CDC guidance for the general public has not changed: avoid contact with sick or dead birds, follow biosecurity protocols if working in animal agriculture, and seek testing promptly if flu-like symptoms develop following exposure.
Expert Interview
For expert perspective, we spoke with Dr. Amy Rao, infectious disease specialist at the Global Influenza Surveillance Network.
Snip: "While we have not seen sustained human-to-human transmission, the frequency of spillover events into mammals is concerning. The risk to the general public remains low, but health workers and farm staff must maintain strict precautions as the virus continues to mutate."
Looking Ahead
Looking to tomorrow, health authorities in the Americas and Asia will release updated surveillance data, and the CDC will announce the next round of targeted herd sampling and results from ongoing serological studies among agricultural workers. No new policy shifts are anticipated unless case numbers change. Global agencies continue to coordinate booster research for at-risk populations, pending mutation analyses of the latest viral samples.
Thank you for tuning in to Bird Flu Bulletin: Daily H5N1 Update. Come back next week for more on the global H5N1 situation. This has been a Quiet Please production. For more, check out QuietPlease.ai.
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Published on 2 weeks, 3 days ago