The Kansas Department of Health and Environment said the risk to the general public remains very low, but they are still reminding state residents to use caution with regard to avian influenza.

In a statement issued Thursday, KDHE officials said people should practice caution around wild birds and backyard poultry amid increasing reports of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) A (H5N1) virus both nationally and within Kansas.

HPAI is primarily an infection of wild birds, but in the ongoing outbreak beginning in early 2022, a number of animal species have been infected including domestic poultry, dairy cattle, wild carnivores like skunks and raccoons, and domestic cats. The virus is spread by migratory waterfowl, primarily ducks and geese.

KDHE Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dereck Totten said the public health risk remains low, but “While there has been no person-to-person spread, KDHE is monitoring the situation carefully. We are working with people who have had flocks test positive and encourage the public to avoid contact with sick birds.”

Since Dec. 3rd, the Kansas Department of Agriculture has identified bird flu in six non-commercial backyard flocks and two commercial flocks. While no human cases have been identified in Kansas, 66 cases of HPAI have been confirmed in humans in the United States in 2024. Those cases are nearly all from exposure to infected poultry or dairy cows, and no known human-to-human spread has occurred.