What to know about bird flu in Illinois
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
As the bird flu outbreak grows, egg prices soar and food recalls mount, consumers may worry about that morning omelet and further human spread.
The big picture: Eggs sold at grocery stores remain safe for human consumption, according to the Food and Drug Administration, which says the risk of flu-infected eggs is low and proper storage and preparation further reduce risk.
- If and how human cases will develop, however, remains harder to predict.
Driving the news: The first bird flu-related human death in the U.S. was reported last week in Louisiana. The person was exposed to sick and dead birds in a backyard flock and to wild birds, state health officials said.
- Another 66 people in the U.S. — none in Illinois — were infected with bird flu in 2024. Most were exposed to sick and dead birds.
- No human-to-human transmissions have been reported so far.
Zoom in: This month, a bald eagle suffering from bird flu was found in Hinsdale and euthanized.
- The eagle was one of 132 reported avian flu bird deaths in the state over the last month, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
State of play: The H5N1 virus isn't yet considered a threat to the general public and its likelihood of becoming one remains up in the air.
What they're saying: "It could become a pandemic tomorrow; it could never become a pandemic. The reality is we just don't know," said Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization at the University of Saskatchewan.
- "The risk today for the average person is low. That said, that does not mean it will stay that way," former Illinois public health chief and principal deputy director of the CDC Nirav Shah told Axios.
Zoom out: The CDC issued a report in August that determined the virus presents a "moderate" future pandemic risk.
- That's not significantly out of line with previous influenza viruses, Shah said.
- Still, Rasmussen notes influenza is an "incredibly unpredictable" virus that can evolve through mutations and essentially swapping characteristics with other flu viruses if someone is infected with both at the same time.
- That makes rampant bird flu spread among animals particularly risky during flu season for humans.
Reality check: If a pandemic happens, it will happen pretty fast and many believe the U.S. is underprepared.
- "We won't have a lot of time to shift from 3 miles an hour to 300 miles an hour," said Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota.
- That means preparation — even if it turns out to be unneeded — is crucial.
- "We've seen this before without it moving to a pandemic. Having said that … I'm very concerned about how unprepared we are for the next influenza pandemic," Osterholm added.
Yes, but: The CDC's Shah said that on many measures, "we are actually ahead of where we'd need to be in terms of preparedness."
The latest: The Biden administration recently allocated $306 million for bird flu response, and the U.S. is currently ramping up its supply of bird flu vaccines.
- How the Trump administration, which takes over in one week, responds to these policies remains unclear.
Be smart: The Illinois Department of Public Health says pets and people should avoid exposure to sick or dead birds and seek anti-virals quickly after exposure.
- Experts also recommend buying clean, undamaged eggs from the refrigerator case and keeping them stored below 40 degrees at home.
- They advise cooking the white and yolk until firm, and washing hands after handling raw eggs.
- Illinoisans are encouraged to report concentrations of five or more dead birds found at one location to state authorities online, and to not touch the animals.