New Bird Flu Strain Detected in the U.S.

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 29, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- A new strain of bird flu, H5N9, has been detected for the first time in the United States, raising concerns about how it continues to spread.

The strain was discovered at a commercial duck farm in California's Merced County, and was reported to the World Organization for Animal Health, which maintains a database of animal disease threats.

The detection comes as the nation continues to battle a growing outbreak of another, more common bird flu strain, H5N1, which is rapidly spreading across poultry farms and infected dairy cows.