Nearly 119,000 birds have been culled at a farm in California after a bird flu called H5N9 was detected among the poultry

What you need to know about bird flu. Public health experts are closely watching avian influenza, which has affected chickens and cows and sickened some Americans.

The avian flu affects a wide spread of the economy, including egg prices. Our Quad Cities News spoke with an agricultural economist to see how it’s impacting the U.S. and across the region. Ag economist Chad Hart from Iowa State University says both producers and consumers are taking the hit.

In late January, scientists at the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) reported the first cases of H5N9 avian influenza in the U.S., on a duck farm in California. The latest strain isn’t a surprise,

Bird flu (H5N1) primarily affects birds but has spread to mammals, including humans. While human transmission remains rare, scientists fear mutation could make it airborne, potentially triggering a global health crisis.

This op-ed argues that to fight avian flu and other animal-borne illnesses, we need to overhaul our food system.