Will bird flu hit people soon? Are we ready?

Unlike the coronavirus, the H5N1 virus has been studied for years. Vaccines and treatments are available if needed.

Avian flu outbreaks among dairy cows in several states, and at least one infection in one farm worker in Texas, have raised fears that the virus could be the next infectious threat to humans.

The flu virus, called H5N1, is highly pathogenic, which means it has the ability to cause serious illness and death. But even if its spread among cows was unexpected, humans can only contract the virus through close contact with infected animals, not each other, federal officials said.

"It's really about people being in environments where they can interact with cattle infected with this virus,” said Dr. Demeter Daskalakis, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“The risk to most other people is very low,” he added. “At this time, our risk assessment hasn't changed, but if it changes, we're going to be pretty quick and pretty transparent about it."

Bird flu is often fatal in birds, but none of the infected cows have died so far. The only symptom in the patient in Texas was conjunctivitis, or pink eye, which has also been reported in infected people during other avian flu outbreaks.

The C.D.C. and other agencies in the United States and elsewhere have been tracking H5N1 for years to track its progress. Federal agencies have stockpiled vaccines and medications for use in the event of a possible bird flu outbreak.

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