Skip to main content

Can avian flu spread via the wind? Can't be ruled out, experts say

By CIDRAP / University of Minnesota  
   February 24, 2025

A non–peer-reviewed study published on the preprint server bioRxiv suggests that highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus shed in poultry droppings can be transmitted by the wind, a possibility that other experts say can't be ruled out but is also very difficult to prove. The report centers on a February 2024 outbreak of H5N1 avian flu among unrelated commercial poultry farms located about 8 kilometers (5 miles) apart in the Czech Republic during the 2023-24 HPAI season.

Full story


Get the latest on healthcare leadership in your inbox.