Healthline: Bird flu has arrived in the U.S. earlier than expected
UC expert says outbreaks in humans are rare but have happened
Cases of bird flu are spreading in the U.S. earlier than expected this year. A version of the avian flu was detected in a commercial flock of turkeys in August. Healthline reported the flock was “immediately quarantined” and euthanized to prevent disease transmission and poultry from the infected flock did not enter the food system.
The Minnesota Board of Animal Health (MBAH) emphasized that biosecurity is paramount to stopping the spread of HPAI.
“Flock owners large and small, from commercial operations to backyard flocks, should review their biosecurity measures to maintain the health of their birds,” the MBAH said in a statement.
Carl Fichtenbaum, MD, of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the UC College of Medicine/Photo/Joe Fuqua II/UC Marketing + Brand
Healthline interviewed several experts for the bird flu story, including Carl Fichtenbaum, MD, of the Division of Infectious Diseases in the Department of Internal Medicine in the UC College of Medicine.
Fichtenbaum told Healthline that Bird flu or Avian Influenza is a variant known as the H5N1 Influenza strain.
“It has resulted in rare outbreaks in humans, most notably in the late 1990s in China,” he said. “One outbreak affected more than 800 persons with a case fatality rate of 50 percent.”
“One person in Colorado in late August 2022 was detected with an H5N1 strain or bird flu, though it was different than the strain in China from years ago,” he added.
Lead photo/NBC News
Next Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is classified as a Research 1 institution by the Carnegie Commission and is ranked in the National Science Foundation's Top-35 public research universities. UC's graduate students and faculty investigate problems and innovate solutions with real-world impact. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
UC doctoral student shares his journey with Spectrum News
July 27, 2026
UC doctoral student Amota Ataneka spoke with Spectrum News about his educational journey. Ataneka, a native of the Pacific island nation of Kiribati, is one of 35 emerging scholars across the United States to win the National Academy of Education/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship.
How scammers can persuade you with AI
July 27, 2026
Spectrum News recently dove into how cloning voices with artificial intelligence is making it easier to scam people over the phone. The news outlet spoke with Kimberly Hyun, assistant professor of marketing at UC’s Lindner College of Business, to examine why AI is making it so much easier to trick people.
Decade of discovery
July 27, 2026
Every summer, UHP Discover has connected undergraduate students in the University Honors Program (UHP) to a unique array of opportunities in original interdisciplinary research. This year, the program celebrates its 10th anniversary.