Advisory Board October 27, 2025
After a summer with little activity, the bird flu virus, also known as H5N1, has hit dozens of poultry flocks, resulting in the deaths of almost 7 million farmed birds — including around 1.3 million turkeys, which could put pressure on the nation’s supply ahead of Thanksgiving.
Bird flu returns
The bird flu virus typically flares up in the fall as wild birds start migrating south. The virus has “settled into this seasonal pattern,” said Richard Webby, an influenza expert at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “This is going to continue to be the new norm.”
Wild birds often spread the virus to poultry farms in a few different ways, either through direct contact, by contaminating feed, or when workers...
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