can humans get bird flu
Last updated September 6, 2026.
Yes, humans can get bird flu, but infections are rare and nearly always follow close contact with infected birds or other infected animals. Risk depends far more on exposure than on anything else, so poultry and dairy workers, backyard flock owners, and people who handle sick or dead wild birds are the ones who need to pay attention. The virus reaches people through droppings, saliva, and other fluids from infected animals, and through raw milk from infected dairy cattle. Symptoms can look like ordinary flu, but red or watery eyes is a common early sign in reported human cases, and some people become seriously ill with pneumonia. The virus does not currently spread easily from person to person. Practical habits help: keep your distance from sick or dead birds, wear gloves and eye protection if you must handle them, skip raw milk and raw milk cheese, and cook poultry and eggs thoroughly.
What to do
- Keep your distance: Do not touch sick or dead birds, and report them to your state wildlife or agriculture agency instead of handling them yourself.
- Gear up if you must handle birds: If you keep poultry or work with livestock, use gloves, a well-fitting respirator, and eye protection, then wash your hands right after.
- Skip raw milk: Drink pasteurized milk and avoid raw milk cheese, since the virus has been found in raw milk from infected dairy cattle.
- Cook it through: Cook poultry and eggs to an internal temperature of 165 F, which destroys influenza viruses.
- Track exposure and symptoms: Watch for eye redness, fever, cough, sore throat, or muscle aches for 10 days after contact with sick animals.
- Call a clinician early: Tell them about the animal exposure up front so testing and antiviral treatment can start quickly, and seek urgent care for trouble breathing, chest pain, or confusion.