The ongoing bird flu outbreak has led to wild bird deaths, slaughtered livestock, and hazardous conditions for dairy industry workers.

Avian flu is hitting California’s San Joaquin Valley hard — nearly 20 million chickens, ducks and turkeys have been killed in the region since 2022, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

No new human cases of avian influenza have been reported, and poultry infections are low so far in March. But infections in cats are continuing, and new research is raising concerns about the virus

While the ongoing H5N1 outbreak has affected the United States, it is good to know what the avian flu is and how the virus can hit cats.