The United States has confirmed its first case of highly pathogenic H5N9 avian influenza in poultry, following an outbreak at a duck meat farm in Merced County, California, the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) stated Monday.

By India Edwards HealthDay Reporter 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.

Both H5N9 and H5N1 were detected at the duck farm in Merced County, according to tests conducted by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratory. The event began on November 23, with clinical signs that included increased deaths in the ducks.

A new strain of H5N9 bird flu was detected at a commercial duck operation in California's Merced County. All the ducks were euthanized.

The first confirmed case of H5N9 bird flu in the United States has been identified in Merced County, California, and control measures are being undertaken to contain the virus.

USDA secures $129.2 million in emergency funds to deter fruit flies -- some of the most destructive fruit and vegetable pests in the world.

The H5N9 strain of avian influenza is much more rare than the H5N1 which has been responsible for most of the reported human cases and the first human death.

H5N9 is a rare subtype of the influenza A virus that can cause highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), also known as bird flu. It's a reassortment strain that originated from the H5N1, H7N9, and H9N2 subtypes.

Rose Acre Farms, the nation's second largest egg producer, said yesterday that tests have confirmed avian flu at its facility in Seymour, Indiana, which could further stretch the supply of eggs as commercial farms in several states continue to battle the spread of the H5N1 virus.

The Department of Agriculture said Friday it has tapped $129 million in emergency funding to battle a worsening incursion of exotic, invasive fruit flies from Mexico and Guatemala.

Bird flu infections around the U.S. have forced mass cullings and resulted in the deaths of zoo animals and pets

The United States has reported its first outbreak of H5N9 bird flu in poultry on a duck farm in California, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) said on Monday. U.S. authorities also detected the more common H5N1 strain on the same farm in Merced County,