Where Bird Flu Has Jumped to Humans Since 2003

Bird flu, or more specifically the H5N1 influenza strain, is widespread in wild birds and has been causing outbreaks in poultry and dairy cows in the United States, with dozens of human cases among poultry and dairy workers. 

Data from the World Health Organization shows that between January 1, 2024 and November 1, 2024 there had been 57 confirmed human cases of the disease worldwide, the majority of which were in the United States (44) and Cambodia (10), with a single case also reported in Australia, China and Vietnam. Of these, three cases were fatal, with two deaths in Cambodia and one death in Vietnam. 

Over the previous four years there had been between 1-4 deaths from bird flu each year. Between 2003-2009, there were 468 cases and 282 deaths worldwide, with 134 of the fatalities recorded in Indonesia. The countries with the next highest tolls were Vietnam (57), Egypt (27), China (25) and Thailand (17). Between 2010 and 2014, there were 233 cases worldwide and 125 deaths. In this time frame, the countries with the most deaths were Egypt (50), Indonesia (31), Cambodia (30) and Vietnam (7).

In Europe, just two cases were reported in Spain in 2022, while in the United Kingdom, one case was reported in 2021 and a further four cases in 2023.