Season 14 • Episode 1133

Bird Flu Isn't Going Away

Episode Description

About this episode:

One person has died of avian flu amidst an ongoing H5N1 outbreak in Yakima County, WA. As cases tick up with birds' seasonal migration patterns, virologists, veterinarians, and health security experts fear that the U.S. isn't doing enough to control the virus. In this episode: Meghan Davis and Erin Sorrell discuss the projected risk of human exposure and stress the importance of investments in surveillance, vaccination, and occupational health to prevent and respond to this constantly evolving virus.

Guest:

Meghan Davis, PhD, MPH, DVM, is a veterinarian and chair of the Master of Public Health program at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Erin Sorrell, PhD, MSc, is an associate professor of Environmental Health and Engineering at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.

Host:

Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs.

Show links and related content:

Yakima County, Washington, reports 2 more avian flu cases, 1 death—CIDRAP
Bird Flu Is Raging on a Mink Farm. It Could Spark a Human Pandemic, Experts Say, but Officials Won't Act.—ProPublica
Could One Health Prevent the Next Pandemic?—Public Health On Call (September 2025)
Is Bird Flu Gone for Good?—Public Health On Call (July 2025)
When Will the Bird Flu Outbreak End?—Public Health On Call (March 2023)

Transcript information:

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