Avian Flu | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/avian-flu/RSS feed for Avian FluenThu, 26 Feb 2026 22:02:40 +0000Northern Elephant Seals Test Positive for Deadly, Highly Infectious H5N1 Bird Flu for the First Timehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/northern-elephant-seals-test-positive-for-deadly-highly-infectious-h5n1-bird-flu-for-the-first-time-180988263/About 30 seals at a California state park have died, and seven of them had the lethal virus. Lab results for the other animals are pendingThu, 26 Feb 2026 22:02:40 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/northern-elephant-seals-test-positive-for-deadly-highly-infectious-h5n1-bird-flu-for-the-first-time-180988263/After a Devastating Bird Flu Outbreak, Scotland's Seabirds Are Slowly Recovering—and So Are the Scientists Who Witnessed Their Declinehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/after-a-devastating-bird-flu-outbreak-scotlands-seabirds-are-slowly-recoveringand-so-are-the-scientists-who-witnessed-their-decline-180988211/The world’s largest colony of northern gannets was decimated by bird flu in 2022. Now, as their numbers climb again, researchers are collecting data to understand the virus’ lasting effectsWed, 18 Feb 2026 13:12:14 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/after-a-devastating-bird-flu-outbreak-scotlands-seabirds-are-slowly-recoveringand-so-are-the-scientists-who-witnessed-their-decline-180988211/Bird Flu Wiped Out Nearly Half of the Females in the World’s Largest Elephant Seal Population, Drone Images Suggesthttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bird-flu-wiped-out-nearly-half-of-the-females-in-the-worlds-largest-elephant-seal-population-drone-images-suggest-180987699/Scientists recorded a 47 percent drop in breeding females in South Georgia’s three largest elephant seal colonies after bird flu hit. Scaled to the whole island, that’s a potential loss of more than 50,000 of the animalsTue, 18 Nov 2025 22:33:56 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/bird-flu-wiped-out-nearly-half-of-the-females-in-the-worlds-largest-elephant-seal-population-drone-images-suggest-180987699/Avian Flu Is Rapidly Spreading Across Antarcticahttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/avian-flu-is-rapidly-spreading-across-antarctica-180986222/A new expedition offers insights on the deadly virus’ impact in the regionMon, 17 Mar 2025 14:46:42 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/avian-flu-is-rapidly-spreading-across-antarctica-180986222/Officials Report the First Human Death From Bird Flu in the U.S. Here's What to Know About the Virushttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/officials-report-the-first-human-death-from-bird-flu-in-the-us-heres-what-to-know-about-the-virus-180985792/The death of a Louisiana resident who was over the age of 65 signals that future H5N1 infections are not guaranteed to be mild, health experts sayWed, 08 Jan 2025 21:15:03 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/officials-report-the-first-human-death-from-bird-flu-in-the-us-heres-what-to-know-about-the-virus-180985792/The Ten Most Significant Science Stories of 2024https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-ten-most-significant-science-stories-of-2024-180985698/From a total solar eclipse that captivated our continent to record temperatures that scorched the planet, these were the biggest moments of the yearFri, 20 Dec 2024 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/the-ten-most-significant-science-stories-of-2024-180985698/'Pirate Seabirds' Could Become a Pathway for Deadly Avian Flu to Spread to Australia, Study Findshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/pirate-seabirds-could-become-a-pathway-for-deadly-avian-flu-to-spread-to-australia-study-finds-180985092/Kleptoparasitism, in which a bird harasses another to steal its food, might introduce avian flu to the continent, currently the only one without the severe H5N1 strainWed, 18 Sep 2024 15:26:17 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/pirate-seabirds-could-become-a-pathway-for-deadly-avian-flu-to-spread-to-australia-study-finds-180985092/Man Infected With H5N2 Bird Flu in Mexico Dies. Here's the Latest on the Virushttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/man-infected-with-h5n2-bird-flu-in-mexico-dies-heres-the-latest-on-the-virus-180984488/The strain is not the same one that has infected U.S. cows and three dairy farm workers, and officials say the risk to the general public remains lowFri, 07 Jun 2024 20:09:01 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/man-infected-with-h5n2-bird-flu-in-mexico-dies-heres-the-latest-on-the-virus-180984488/Four Important Questions About Bird Flu, Answeredhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/four-important-questions-about-bird-flu-answered-180984378/The virus has killed tens of millions of birds and infected hundreds of species of animals, including dairy cattle in the United States. Here’s what you should know about itMon, 20 May 2024 12:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/four-important-questions-about-bird-flu-answered-180984378/