H5N1 Bird Flu Explained: What You Need to Know About Avian Influenza and Human Transmission Risk
Published: December 12, 2025
Duration: 5:09
[Soft music fades in]
Host:
This is “Avian Flu 101: Your H5N1 Bird Flu Guide.”
Let’s start with the basics. Bird flu, or avian influenza, is a family of flu viruses that mainly infect birds. Health agencies like the CDC and World Health Organization say the current concern is a type called H5N1, a highly pathogenic strain that can make birds very sick and has, on rare occasions, infected people.
So what is a virus, in plain language? Think of a virus as a tiny set of bad instructions wrapped in a coat...
Host:
This is “Avian Flu 101: Your H5N1 Bird Flu Guide.”
Let’s start with the basics. Bird flu, or avian influenza, is a family of flu viruses that mainly infect birds. Health agencies like the CDC and World Health Organization say the current concern is a type called H5N1, a highly pathogenic strain that can make birds very sick and has, on rare occasions, infected people.
So what is a virus, in plain language? Think of a virus as a tiny set of bad instructions wrapped in a coat...