CDC ends bird flu emergency as infections decline, public risk remains low

The bird flu emergency is officially over, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The agency’s emergency response to H5N1 bird flu, which was activated on April 4, 2024 —as “deactivated” on July 2, the agency told Reuters, due to declining animal infections and an absence of human cases since February.

As of July 7, the CDC will combine its bird flu updates with its routine influenza updates, according to a news release on its website.

NEW OUTBREAK OF DEADLY BIRD FLU STRAIN CONFIRMED FOR FIRST TIME IN 8 YEARS

Data on the number of people who are monitored and tested for bird flu will now be reported on a monthly basis.

The bird flu emergency is officially over, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (iStock)

The CDC will also stop reporting on highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in animals, such as cows. That information will now be posted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) website.

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“There is no known person-to-person spread at this time,” the CDC website states. “The current public health risk is low.”

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There have been a total of 70 human cases of bird flu and one death nationally.

The CDC will now report the number of people who are monitored and tested for bird flu on a monthly basis. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

“I am still concerned about H5N1 spread within poultry and on into other species,” Dr. Marc Siegel, Fox News senior medical analyst, told Fox News Digital.

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“The dip this time of year has to do with the patten of migratory birds, where they aren’t traveling, but I expect the numbers to surge back up in the fall.”