Your Neighbor Has Backyard Chickens. Should You Be Worried?

By Amy Maxmen

March 10, 2025

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<br /> <span class=byline>Amy Maxmen</span></p> <p>If your neighbor is a backyard chicken hobbyist, should you be worried about bird flu? KFF Health News national public health correspondent Amy Maxmen answers that question and shares her reporting, on WAMU’s “Health Hub” segment March 5.</p> <p>The latest outbreak of bird flu has upended egg, poultry, and dairy operations, <a rel=nofollow target=_blank href=https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/situation-summary/index.html>sickened dozens</a><a rel=nofollow target=_blank href=https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/situation-summary/index.html> of farmworkers</a>, and killed at least one person in the U.S. Traditional methods to curb H5N1 have so far failed. While the virus isn’t known to be spreading between people, each new infection is a chance for it to evolve. That could set the stage for another pandemic.</p><div class='code-block code-block-3' style='margin: 8px 0; clear: both;'> <script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-5145945401219871" crossorigin=anonymous></script> <ins class=adsbygoogle style=display:block data-ad-client=ca-pub-5145945401219871 data-ad-slot=2699310409 data-ad-format=auto data-full-width-responsive=true></ins> <script>(adsbygoogle=window.adsbygoogle||[]).push({});</script></div> <p>Scientists worry the United States isn’t doing enough to track and curb the virus. On WAMU’s “Health Hub,” KFF Health News public health correspondent Amy Maxmen explains the threat bird flu poses to public health and actions the government is taking to control the outbreak.</p> <p>
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By Amy Maxmen

March 10, 2025

Article HTML
<br /> <span class=byline>Amy Maxmen</span></p> <p>If your neighbor is a backyard chicken hobbyist, should you be worried about bird flu? KFF Health News national public health correspondent Amy Maxmen answers that question and shares her reporting, on WAMU’s “Health Hub” segment March 5.</p> <p>The latest outbreak of bird flu has upended egg, poultry, and dairy operations, <a rel=nofollow target=_blank href=https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/situation-summary/index.html>sickened dozens</a><a rel=nofollow target=_blank href=https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/situation-summary/index.html> of farmworkers</a>, and killed at least one person in the U.S. Traditional methods to curb H5N1 have so far failed. While the virus isn’t known to be spreading between people, each new infection is a chance for it to evolve. That could set the stage for another pandemic.</p> <p>Scientists worry the United States isn’t doing enough to track and curb the virus. On WAMU’s “Health Hub,” KFF Health News public health correspondent Amy Maxmen explains the threat bird flu poses to public health and actions the government is taking to control the outbreak.</p> <p>
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