Public health officials believe the risk to the public is low. The two human cases of influenza A(H5N1) in the U.S., in 2022 and 2024, were both linked to direct contact with a sick animal, and it is extremely rare for H5N1 viruses to spread from person to person. While it is possible that avian flu could adapt to spread more easily among people in the future, genetic testing shows that is not the case with the virus that caused these infections.