A group of highly lethal influenza virus strains affecting poultry and wild birds, causing sudden high mortality in domestic flocks and prompting mass culling to contain outbreaks. Recurring global epizootics, including the H5N1 lineage that has caused unprecedented losses since 2020, have led to the culling of hundreds of millions of birds worldwide and periodic spillover infections into mammals, including dairy cattle in the United States from 2024.
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Chicken, Livestock Highly pathogenic avian influenza causes near-total mortality in infected commercial chicken flocks.
Sources
1. Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationOpening definition paragraph
Avian influenza, also known as avian flu or bird flu, is a disease caused by the influenza A virus, which primarily affects birds but can sometimes affect mammals including humans. Wild aquatic birds are the primary host of the influenza A virus, which is enzootic in many bird populations.
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A group of highly lethal influenza virus strains affecting poultry and wild birds, causing sudden high mortality in domestic flocks and prompting mass culling to contain outbreaks.
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