Bird Flu Update 2024 Usa Today. Federal officials say wild birds can carry a mild infection of the virus and pass it on to domesticated chickens and turkeys, where it can be 90% lethal. By february, more than 50 million chickens have been affected in the u.s., in what has become one of the largest bird flu outbreaks in recorded history.
For nearly four months, the spread of bird flu in the nation’s dairy cattle has stoked fears that, if left unchecked, the virus could eventually unleash a pandemic. Federal officials say wild birds can carry a mild infection of the virus and pass it on to domesticated chickens and turkeys, where it can be 90% lethal.