U.S. Confirms First H7N9 Bird Flu Outbreak in Poultry Since 2017

The outbreak in Mississippi is unrelated to the ongoing H5N1 crisis, which continues to disrupt food security and raise concerns about mammalian spillover.

The Mississippi Board of Animal Health confirmed the H7N9 strain in a commercial poultry flock of over 47,000 chickens in Noxubee County, with containment measures underway.
This marks the first U.S. outbreak of H7N9 in commercial poultry since 2017, with no birds from the affected flock entering the food supply.
The H5N1 bird flu continues to spread globally, leading to over 166 million poultry culled in the U.S. and rising cases in mammals, including domestic cats.
The USDA has launched a $1 billion plan to combat bird flu and address its economic impacts, including soaring egg prices and threats to rural livelihoods.
While the risk of human-to-human transmission for both H5N1 and H7N9 remains low, experts emphasize the need for enhanced surveillance and biosecurity measures.