person-to-person

This highly contagious virus, which can cause severe liver inflammation, has evolved to spread through close person-to-person contact or through contaminated food and water.

A statement from the Oregon Health Authority said there is “no evidence of person-to-person transmission and the risk to the public is low.”

H5N1 could develop the capability for person-to-person transmission in a few ways.

They underscored that there is no indication of person-to-person spread of bird flu at this time.

Although the virus has so far shown no genetic evidence of acquiring the ability to spread from person-to-person, public health officials are closely monitoring the dairy cow situation as part of overarching pandemic preparedness efforts.