Bird Flu and You

Though the H5N1 strain of HPAI (or 'bird flu') has been around for decades, only recently has the epidemic begun circulating within the United States. Domestic poultry, wild birds, dairy cows and other mammals (including humans) have been impacted by the virus to various extents. This project looks at key representative narratives of bird flu outbreaks within the U.S. to piece together the wider story around bird flu, culminating in the bigger picture showing what this disease reveals about the relationships between animals, humans and disease. The first case looks at an outbreak at a duck farm in Long Island that had to cull their entire flock. The second case covers the state of emergency declared in California over H5N1 in dairy farms. Finally, H5N1 is situated within the wider fields of zoonotic and emergent diseases, examining the history of disease to tie together the animal-human connection.