USGS Frequently Asked Questions

Answer:

• While currently there are unconfirmed reports of people being infected with H5N1 from dead wild birds, exposure to domestic and wild birds potentially infected with H5N1 should be avoided.
• The only documented cases of transmission to humans are from poultry; these cases include both highly pathogenic and low pathogenic strains of avian influenza.
• At the present time, close contact with infected domestic poultry has been the primary way that people have become infected with the HPAI H5N1 virus.