What the CDC is doing to monitor and protect against bird flu
CDC director Dr. Mandy Cohen tells NPR that while the risk of bird flu spreading to humans is low, the U.S. government is taking precautions to avoid spread of the virus.
On Monday, a person in Texas tested positive for bird flu — also known as the highly pathogenic avian influenza — after coming in contact with dairy cattle presumed to be infected.
The virus, which is highly contagious among wild birds and poultry, has now spread to dairy farms, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Not only is this the first time that bird flu has been found in dairy cattle, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association, but this is also only the second time a human has contracted the virus in the U.S.
, since there have been no recorded instances
