Government finds Oregon's first avian flu in a human

(NOVEMBER 21, 2024) Avian flu is a virus. It makes birds sick. Now a human in Oregon is sick, too.

Avian flu in humans is unusual. This is the first human in Oregon to have avian flu. Only 52 people in the country were sick.

However, avian flu makes many birds sick, such as chickens and turkeys. Farmers in Clackamas County killed 150,000 chickens last month. The chickens had avian flu. The government wanted to keep other birds and humans safe.

Birds usually die from the virus. However, the virus is usually not bad in humans. Humans have fever, chills, red eyes, and cough or sore throat.

The government says the risk to humans is low. It doesn't think the virus moves from person to person. People should stay away from dead animals and sick animals.