68 human cases reported in 11 states, but officials say public health risk is still low

Bird flu is spreading across the United States, causing egg shortages and soaring prices at supermarkets and restaurants. As of Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that while the current public health risk is low, there have been at least 68 confirmed human cases of bird flu in 11 states, with one death associated with the H5N1 infection.

Last week, police said hundreds of eggs were stolen from a Seattle café just days after thieves stole 100,000 organic eggs from a distribution trailer in Pennsylvania.

In recent months, cases of avian influenza have increased in animals, including poultry, wild birds, dairy cows and even pet cats. Nearly 23 million birds were affected by the virus in January, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Since February 2022, over 138 million birds have been infected by a strain of bird flu known as H5N1.

Nevada health officials confirmed on Monday that a dairy worker had been infected with a new strain of the bird flu — the first confirmed human case of bird flu in the state. The worker was exposed to an infected dairy cow after a new variant of the bird flu was detected on a farm in Churchill County last week. Most human cases are mild, and there is currently no evidence of human-to-human transmission.