CDC A(H5N1) Bird Flu Response Update May 24, 2024

CDC continues to respond to the public health challenge posed by a multistate outbreak of avian influenza A(H5N1) virus, or “A(H5N1) virus,” in dairy cows and other animals in the United States. CDC is working in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), state public health and animal health officials, and other partners using a One Health approach. On May 22, CDC reported an additional human case of avian influenza A(H5) virus infection in a dairy worker in Michigan who had work exposure to infected cows. By May 23, the agency had confirmed the neuraminidase of the virus as N1. This is the second human case associated with the ongoing A(H5N1) outbreak in dairy cows, and the third case reported in the United States.[1] Based on the information available so far, this infection does not change CDC’s current human health risk assessment for the U.S. general public, which the agency considers to be low.[1] CDC continues to support strategies to maximize protection of farm workers, who may be at higher risk for infection than others in the population. On the animal health side, USDA is reporting that 63 dairy cow herds in nine U.S. states have confirmed cases of A(H5N1) virus infections in dairy cows.