Is Your Bird Feeder Putting You at Risk for Bird Flu?

Bird flu continues to spread through livestock and wild birds across the U.S.—so could keeping bird feeders in your yard be a risky move for your health?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), bird (or avian) flu has been detected in nearly 12,000 wild birds and has impacted nearly 158 million poultry animals. In rare cases, it can affect people, too—so far, 68 human cases have been reported, including one death.

Almost all of these cases have been linked to dairy cows infected with bird flu, Catherine Troisi, PhD, associate professor of management, policy, and community health and epidemiology at the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, told Health. “We assume the virus—which is [in] the cow’s milk—is splashed into workers’ eyes, causing conjunctivitis and generally mild symptoms.”

Right now, there have been no confirmed cases of person-to-person bird flu transmission, and “the current risk to the general public is low,” Susan Donelan, MD, Medical Director of Healthcare Epidemiology at Stony Brook Medicine, told Health. 

However, humans can become infected with the virus by handling sick or dead birds and animals, then touching their eyes, nose, or mouth, she said.

So, for the estimated 57 million Americans who feed birds, is this hobby raising their risk of coming into contact with bird flu?

Here’s what experts have to say about whether your bird feeder should temporarily come down, plus how to ensure your backyard doesn’t become a hotspot for this virus.

Bird feeders, of course, can attract lots of birds. This could certainly lead to bird-to-bird avian flu transmission, Troisi said.

However, this is probably rare since bird flu infection is uncommon among songbirds. Most of the identified cases in wild birds so far have been in ducks, geese, or birds of prey.

For humans, the risk of getting sick directly from birds visiting a feeder is low, especially since people typically don’t come into contact with birds while feeding them, Troisi said.

Rather, the main concern is that if someone’s bird feeder is located near backyard poultry, there could be transmission between the wild and domesticated birds, she explained.

Another method of potential indirect transmission could be from one of your furry friends. There have been reports of cats contracting avian flu from infected birds, either through direct contact or by catching and eating them, Troisi said.

“Bird feeders attract large numbers of birds and, therefore, increase the possibility of cats becoming infected, although the risk is probably low,” she said.

While it’s unlikely, infected cats might have the potential to spread the bird flu virus to humans. On Feb. 5, the CDC posted and then deleted a version of a report that suggested this possibility.

To reduce risks, experts advised keeping domestic cats indoors or supervising them in enclosed outdoor spaces.

Though bird feeders could potentially raise a person’s risk of coming into contact with bird flu indirectly, for now, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) does not appear to have an official recommendation to remove bird feeders to prevent bird flu.

However, in response to a query from the public, USDA’s “AskUSDA” site advised, “People who care for poultry should prevent contact between wild birds and poultry by removing sources of food, water, and shelter that attract wild birds.”

First and foremost, if you have backyard poultry, take down any bird feeders you might have, Troisi recommended.

While these poultry-to-human transmissions are rare, they can happen. So far, at least one bird flu case has been linked to “exposure to a combination of a non-commercial backyard flock and wild birds.”

This is especially important for anyone who has a weakened immune system, Troisi added, as they may be at a higher risk of severe illness.

Beyond taking down your bird feeder, if you find a sick or dead bird in your yard—whether it’s one of your chickens or a wild bird—avoid contact with it and get in touch with your local state or health department to determine next steps, she explained.

It’s also not a bad idea to wear gloves, masks, and eye protection when you’re coming into contact with birds, a bird feeder, or any objects contaminated by bird droppings, Charles Bailey, MD, infectious disease physician at Providence Mission Hospital, told Health. Plus, wash your hands “after removing gloves and before touching the face or eyes after such contact,” he said.

Even with bird flu spreading throughout the U.S., eggs—whether from backyard or commercial poultry flocks—should still be safe to eat, so long as they’re cooked properly, Troisi explained. However, consuming raw eggs is never recommended, as they can be contaminated with other bacteria such as Salmonella.

“Whether raw eggs can spread avian influenza isn’t known, but again, adequately cooking would kill the virus, should it be there,” said Troisi.

Though the risk of infection is low, if you think you may have come into contact with a sick animal or bird, be on the lookout for symptoms of bird flu. That can include fever, headache, muscle aches, or cough, Bailey said. Less frequently, bird flu can cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, or even conjunctivitis. If you think you might’ve been infected, contact your local health department right away for testing.