CDC Announces End To “Bird Flu Emergency Response”

CNN reports:

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it has ended its emergency response to H5N1 bird flu, citing a drop in cases.

“As reports of animal infections with avian influenza A(H5N1) virus (“H5N1 bird flu”) have declined and no human cases have been reported since February 2025, on July 2, 2025, CDC’s H5N1 emergency bird flu response was deactivated to transition back to regular program activity,” a spokesperson for the US Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement.

The spokesperson said that surveillance, readiness and response for influenza – including H5N1 bird flu – will continue under the CDC’s influenza division and other appropriate agency programs.

Read the full article.

This is a mistake. The current political situation in the US means that migrant farm workers are very unlikely to engage with any arm of the federal government. It is a huge risk to deprioritise H5N1.

CDC ends emergency response to H5N1 bird flu | CNN https://t.co/6m4lmfVnlM

— Conor Browne (@brownecfm) July 8, 2025