What Is Avian Flu?

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Avian flu aka bird flu or avian influenza is a disease caused by a virus like COVID or the cold. The strain that people are talking about is a kind of bird flu caused by H5N1. This particular strain was first detected in the late 90s, around 1996, 97 in China. And since then, it's been spreading mostly through birds, through poultry.

Poultry farmers are in flock-down. The bird flu known as H5N1 is being called “the largest foreign animal disease outbreak in US history.” Vox’s Benji Jones and Johns Hopkins University researcher Tom Philpott say the virus underscores the poultry industry’s shortcomings.

This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Paul Robert Mounsey, and hosted by Noel King.

Transcript at vox.com/todayexplained

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