Virus wiki
Avian Influenza (H5N1)
Highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1) primarily affects poultry and wild birds; sporadic human infections raise pandemic preparedness attention.
Snapshot: 5/10/2026, 10:57:16 AM · 1 tracked locations · 3,270 active cases (dataset)
Important
Virus Tracker provides aggregated outbreak monitoring for education and situational awareness. It is not medical advice, a diagnostic service, or a substitute for guidance from qualified health professionals or official public health agencies. Always consult licensed clinicians and authoritative sources for personal health decisions.
Overview
H5N1 viruses cause massive losses in poultry and periodic wild bird die-offs. Human cases remain relatively rare but severe when they occur, driving occupational safety standards for farm and culling workers. Virus Tracker tracks regional human and animal-linked signals where metrics are mirrored in open datasets alongside outbreak narratives.
Transmission
Humans are typically infected through close contact with sick or dead infected birds or highly contaminated environments. Sustained human-to-human transmission is not characteristic of seasonal influenza patterns.
Symptoms & clinical notes
Severe respiratory disease, fever, and systemic complications have been reported. Mild cases may be under-ascertained. Clinical suspicion should trigger appropriate diagnostics and infection control.
Prevention & control
Biosecurity on farms, safe handling of sick animals, personal protective equipment for responders, and public guidance to avoid unsafe poultry products reduce risk. Vaccine strategies differ for animals and humans and follow national policy.
Surveillance context
Animal and human systems must interoperate: veterinary notifications often precede human detections. Genomic tracking informs antigenic updates and risk communication.
Key metrics
Active cases (dataset)
3,270
Reported deaths
820
Pressure index
22.2%
Avian Influenza (H5N1) — global infection heat map
Country shading reflects relative active-case intensity from the current Virus Tracker dataset for this pathogen. Hover countries on desktop for counts.
Trajectory outlook
Trajectory (14d)
Regional analysis
Top regions by active cases
Top 1 tracked locations for Avian Influenza (H5N1) by active cases in the current dataset.
Threat intelligence visuals
Threat Matrix
Pressure (x) vs CFR (y) with bubble size by active cases
Source Reliability
Healthy sources
4
Unhealthy sources
3
Average confidence
41.0%
Confidence exposure
1,341
Health ratio
Severity by Region
Top affected regions
| Location | Active | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| Vietnam (VN) | 3,270 | 820 |
FAQ
Is this page medical advice?
Virus Tracker provides aggregated outbreak monitoring for education and situational awareness. It is not medical advice, a diagnostic service, or a substitute for guidance from qualified health professionals or official public health agencies. Always consult licensed clinicians and authoritative sources for personal health decisions.
What does the pressure index mean on Virus Tracker?
Pressure index reflects active-case burden relative to recoveries in our models. It helps compare stressed outbreak zones within the dataset—it is not a clinical score.
How often is this wiki updated?
Figures refresh on the site’s ingestion and revalidation schedule (typically about every 30 minutes in production). Timestamps on the dashboard snapshot indicate the last build of the underlying dataset.
Why might the heat map not match official government totals?
We merge multiple open sources and fallbacks; reporting lag, testing policy, and geographic coverage differ by country. Use national health ministries for authoritative case definitions.