A poultry facility in Michigan and egg producer in Texas both reported outbreaks of avian flu this week. The latest developments on the virus also include infected dairy cows and the first known instance of a human catching bird flu from a mammal. Although health officials say the risk to the public remains low, there is rising concern, emerging in part from news that the largest producer of fresh eggs in the U.S. reported an outbreak. Here are some key things to know about the disease.
WHAT ARE EXPERTS SAYING?Dr. Mandy Cohen, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the agency is taking bird flu seriously, but stressed that the virus has already been well studied. “The fact that it is in cattle now definitely raises our concern level,” Cohen said, noting that it means farmworkers who work with cattle — and not just those working with birds — may need to take precaution