Bird flu FAQ: Is my pet safe? Can I eat runny eggs? Is it safe to go to the park?

Bird flu is spreading across the United States, causing egg shortages and soaring prices at supermarkets and restaurants. Since the outbreak started in February 2022, over 166 million birds have been affected. There have been at least 70 confirmed cases of bird flu in humans across 13 U.S. states, and at least one person has died.

On Wednesday, the Trump administration unveiled a five-step plan to combat the outbreak and stabilize the cost of eggs, which could skyrocket more than 40% in 2025, the Agriculture Department said.

The plan includes tightening biosecurity measures for farmers to decrease the risk of contamination, considering a bird flu vaccine for poultry and temporarily importing eggs.

There is no treatment for the bird flu, otherwise known as highly pathogenic avian influenza.

"The only way to stop the disease is to depopulate all affected and exposed poultry," according to the USDA. Millions of flocks have had to be culled due to the illness, driving up egg prices. Since the start of 2025, more than 30 million egg-laying hens have been killed.

Despite the outbreak, eggs are still safe to eat as long as they’re handled properly and not eaten when raw or undercooked because the cooking temperature will kill any virus that manages to get in, the CDC says. National retailers and grocers have limited the number of eggs customers can buy in one trip, some restaurant chains have added temporary egg surcharges and eggs have literally been stolen by the truckload.

Amid the ongoing bird flu outbreak, Americans may be wondering about their own safety too. Yahoo News answers some of the most frequently asked questions about the virus.

• What is bird flu?

• What should I know about bird flu in humans — is it time to be worried?

• Is it safe to eat runny eggs?

• Is my pet at risk?

• Is the virus mutating?

• Is there a bird flu vaccine for poultry — and humans?

• Is it safe to go to public parks, a petting zoo or have a bird feeder?

What is bird flu?

It’s a disease that’s caused by avian influenza A viruses. It usually spreads between birds, with wild water birds being the hosts, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In recent months, cases of avian influenza have increased in animals, including poultry, wild birds, dairy cows and even pet cats. Nearly 23 million birds were affected by the virus in January alone, according to USDA.

Birds infected with the virus can spread it through their saliva, mucus and feces. Other animals can spread it through "respiratory secretions, different organs, blood, or in other body fluids, including animal milk,” the CDC says.

What should I know about bird flu in humans? Is it time to be worried?

How a person can get it: A person can become infected with bird flu by exposure to dairy cow herds, wild birds, chickens and other animals when the virus gets into a person's eyes, nose or mouth or is inhaled. “To date, person-to-person spread of H5 bird flu has not been identified,” the CDC says.

Current risk to humans: The CDC says that the current public health risk is low. The agency’s website currently indicates 70 confirmed human cases across 13 states, with one death in Louisiana associated with the H5N1 infection. There have been a total of four hospitalizations in the U.S. related to the virus, with the most recent in Wyoming and Ohio.

The states where human cases of bird flu have thus far been identified are Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Colorado, Texas, Louisiana, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio and Wyoming.

Who’s the most at risk: People who work with domestic poultry or dairy cows are at greater risk of getting bird flu. Most of the confirmed human infections have been traced back to exposure to infected or presumed to have been infected dairy cows or poultry, according to the CDC. People who have had exposure to infected animals, whether job or recreation-related, are at increased risk of infection as well.

The symptoms: Humans who contract H5N1 can experience mild symptoms such as:

? Fever or feeling feverish or chills

? Eye redness or irritation

? Respiratory symptoms, such as cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches and tiredness

Is it safe to eat runny eggs?

Egg processors are required under government regulations to wash and sanitize eggs to remove germs from the shell. Even if the virus manages to make its way into an egg, "the normal cooking process would kill that virus," Dr. David Cennimo, an associate professor of medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, told ABC News. "So the only theoretical risk is if you're eating raw or undercooked eggs, and again, the flocks are being monitored for bird flu."

Sorry, brunch-goers, runny eggs are considered undercooked.

The CDC says “properly cooked” eggs are cooked to an internal temperature of 165?F — the heat will kill any virus or bacteria. And even without the presence of bird flu, the USDA says, "everyone is advised against eating raw or undercooked egg yolks, whites or products containing them.”

Is my pet at risk?

It could be. Health experts have said that cats and dogs can get bird flu by consuming raw food, milk or dead birds that are infected. While it’s rare for dogs to catch bird flu, it can cause extreme illness in felines, resulting in death.

But a new study from the CDC suggests that cats are also susceptible to the virus even without direct exposure to infected dairy cows or poultry, and that it’s possible for humans to give their pet cats bird flu.

There have been no cases of human-to-human bird flu transmission in the U.S., but "the study illustrates concerns about bird flu continuing to mutate to increase the risk for transmission to and among humans," USA Today reported.

Is the virus mutating?

A new variant of the bird flu, known as D1.1, was detected in dairy cattle earlier this month in Nevada. Bird flu in dairy cattle isn't anything new, as a multistate outbreak was identified in cows in March 2024. However, it's the first time that a strain once only detected in birds has now turned up in cows.

The D1.1 variant was also the same version of the bird flu that caused the two most serious cases of bird flu in humans in North America: One case resulted in the death of a 65-year-old Louisiana patient and another case involved a 13-year-old Canadian girl, who is recovering.

Is there a bird flu vaccine for poultry — and humans?

Yes, but a vaccine for both hasn’t been authorized — here’s why.

Since last summer, U.S. public health agencies have been preparing millions of doses of a vaccine for H5N1 bird flu in humans. By this spring, about 10 million doses will be available, or enough to vaccinate 5 million people, a spokesperson at the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response told NBC News.

The reason federal officials haven't yet authorized a bird flu vaccine for humans is that illnesses have been relatively mild and don't require hospitalization. The virus’s risk to the general public is low. Should a bird flu vaccine be needed for humans, the national stockpile should be sufficient for immunizing first responders and at-risk populations.

Meanwhile, New Jersey-based vaccine manufacturer Zoetis announced Feb. 14 that the USDA granted a conditional license for an H5N2 bird flu vaccine that can combat variants of the H5N1 virus circulating in domestic poultry and dairy cows in the U.S.

However, it doesn't mean that the vaccine can be widely distributed just yet.

“This is simply a normal step in the research and development phase, not in the implementation of a vaccine strategy,” the USDA spokesperson said.

In the Trump administration’s five-step plan for combatting bird flu unveiled Wednesday, $100 million will go toward research and the development of vaccines and therapeutics for chicken flocks.

Is it safe to go to public parks, a petting zoo or have a bird feeder?

Yes, but you should take certain precautions.

If going to a public park, here are some precautions you and or any children should take, as recommended by the Los Angeles County Public Health Department:

• Don’t step in or touch bird feces or pond water.

• Don’t pick up loose feathers.

• Avoid picnicking where birds congregate.

• Sanitize hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer before eating.

• Wash hands after arriving home. Any shoes or clothes with bird feces should be cleaned.

For those planning to go to a petting zoo or fair exhibit, especially with kids, the CDC offers guidance on how to protect yourselves:

• Don’t eat, drink or put anything in your mouth or touch your eyes while in animal areas like a barn or show arena.

• Always wash your hands after touching animals or their enclosures. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if water isn’t available.

• Don’t take any strollers, toys, pacifiers, cups or bottles in the animal areas.

As far as bird feeders go, the USDA doesn’t specifically recommend removing them in order to help prevent bird flu, unless you also take care of domestic poultry flocks. In that case, any contact between wild birds and poultry should be avoided by removing food, water and shelter where wild birds can gather.