The current risk to the general public from H5N1 bird flu is unknown. Risk for dairy workers is likely increasing throughout California, as an increasing number of infected dairy herds are reported in counties outside of Santa Clara County. However, testing of cattle and poultry is not widespread or routine, and the regular influenza season has not started, which may increase the risk the virus develops the ability to spread from human-to-human.
While the overall risk remains unknown, people should follow these recommendations:
Food Safety:
- Do not prepare or eat unpasteurized (raw) milk or raw cheese. Raw milk and cheese have not gone through a process called pasteurization that kills disease-causing germs. For more information about how raw milk can make you sick, visit the CDC’s Raw Milk webpage.
- Cook beef and poultry products, including eggs, to the right temperature. For more information on minimal internal temperatures, refer to the CDC's instructions on preparing and consuming food.
Avoid contact with wild birds and sick or dead animals:
- Avoid contact with wild birds and keep pets away from wild birds.
- Avoid surfaces that may be contaminated with bird feces.
- Avoid unprotected exposures to sick or dead animals. If you find a sick or dead animal, do not attempt to touch or handle the animal with bare hands or clothing.
- Report dead birds to the California Dead Bird Hotline at (877) 968-2473.
- For other dead animals, contact your local animal control authority.
If you have job-related or recreational exposure to infected animals, including wild birds, poultry, and dairy cows, you are at greater risk of being exposed to H5N1 bird flu. These jobs may include farmers or workers on poultry and dairy farms, slaughterhouse workers, backyard bird flock owners, veterinarians and veterinary staff, and emergency responders. In addition to the recommendations above, you should:
- Call your doctor if you feel sick. Symptoms of H5N1 bird flu can include cough, sore throat, fever, and red or watery eyes.
- Get your seasonal flu vaccine. Everyone - especially workers at risk for exposure to bird flu - should get a seasonal flu vaccine. Although the seasonal flu vaccine will not protect against bird flu, it can decrease the risk of being infected with both viruses at the same time and reduce the chance of severe illness from seasonal flu.
- For workers: Follow CDC recommendations to protect yourself from H5N1 bird flu at work.
- For employers: Follow all CDC recommendations for worker protection to reduce risk of infection.
- For backyard flock owners: Follow the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Defend the Flock recommendations. If you think birds in your flock may have bird flu, follow CDC recommendations to protect yourself.
Learn more
For more information on H5N1 bird flu, refer to the CDC’s H5 Bird Flu: Current Situation Summary webpage.
