You may have seen the H5 bird flu being talked about on the news recently.

©National Institutes of Health

The bird flu has been causing outbreaks in poultry and U.S. dairy cows, and now more human cases have been reported. What should you know about the H5 bird flu before your next Disney trip?

To start off with the good news, the CDC is currently saying that the current public health risk is low. They are continuing to monitor the situation carefully, though and are working with states to monitor people with animal exposures. So far, since 2024, there have been 66 confirmed human cases of H5 bird flu and 1 death associated with the bird flu in the United States.

©CDC

Of those cases, all but three were from exposure associated with commercial agriculture and related operations. One was from other animal exposure and two cases were from an unknown exposure source. The CDC recommends a couple of protective actions for people. First, avoid direct contact with wild birds and avoid contact with wild or domestic birds that appear ill or have died. People should also avoid drinking raw milk or products made with raw milk. As well, make sure you are properly handling and cooking poultry.

©CDC

The CDC doesn’t currently have any travel restrictions in place related to the bird flu. While there have been numerous outbreaks of bird flu in poultry and dairy cows, it is rare for the virus to pass from an infected person to a close contact. If it has been spread from person to person, it has not led to continued spread among people. This is very good news if you are feeling anxious about traveling to Disney World with the increase of coverage about H5 bird flu. 

©CDC

Most cases have occurred after close or lengthy unprotected contact with infected birds or places where sick birds have been. More rarely, cases have come from an intermediary animal like a cat or a cow. However, person-to-person transmission is very rare. That means you won’t need to worry about getting H5 bird flu from a fellow Disney guest, but just be cautious of close contact with wild birds. In fact, it is probably always a good idea to avoid direct contact with wild animals (unless, of course, your job requires it).

©CDC

The bottom line is that you shouldn’t be worried about the H5 bird flu if you are heading to Disney World soon. Person-to-person transmission is very rare, and most cases have been from people being in lengthy, close contact with infected animals. Make sure to stay tuned to DFB for more news.