Avian flu does not currently pose a widespread risk to human health. However, California farmworkers are on the front lines of rising human case numbers as the virus burns through California’s poultry and dairy industries. And the effects of the flu are hitting the state’s agricultural economy hard and jacking up the price of eggs for all.

It’s also causing havoc for wild animals, including right here at UC: The peregrine falcons that nest in the bell tower at UC Berkeley haven’t been seen for two months, and are presumed to have died of the virus.

“Avian influenza is not new — it has been around for decades,” said Mark Stetter, dean of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. “But what is new is this virus is changing, and it’s changing in multiple ways that have raised concerns lately.”

Read the whole story from the UC Newsroom

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