US detects first case of rare H5N9 bird flu in California poultry farm

US health experts sound alarms after an avian influenza strain H5N9 case confirmed in duck meat

US detects first case of rare H5N9 bird flu in California poultry farm
US detects first case of rare H5N9 bird flu in California poultry farm

The US has detected the first-ever rare strain of avian influenza, H5N9, at a California poultry farm.

According to The Guardian, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) confirmed the first outbreak of the novel bird flu on a duck on a California farm earlier this week.

The US Department of Agriculture in the WOAH report said, “This is the first confirmed case of HPAI H5N9 in poultry in the United States. The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), in conjunction with state animal health and wildlife officials, is conducting comprehensive epidemiological investigations and enhanced surveillance in response to the HPAI-related events.”

Moreover, the authorities revealed that they found two types of bird flu at a farm in California: one was common H5N1, and the other was a rare strain, H5N9. In order to stop the spread of the flu, almost 119,000 birds on the farm have been killed since December 2024.

The US Centres for Disease Control (CDC) assured that “while the current public health risk is low, CDC is watching the situation carefully and working with states to monitor people with animal exposures.”

Furthermore, experts said that H5N9 does not pose a grave threat to humans, but scientists are worried that the spread of H5N1, along with seasonal flu, and new strains could develop new versions of the virus.