Alpacas Affected By Bird Flu For First Time In The U.S.

The CDC said it's risk assessment for the general public remains low, but it expects more cases.

A pack of alpacas on a farm in Idaho have tested positive for bird flu.

It has been confirmed that a highly pathogenic variant of bird flu virus, H5N1, was detected from a farm where infected poultry were removed this month.

This marks the first time the virus has been found in alpacas in the U.S..

In recent weeks the H5N1 variant has affected over 50 animal species in the U.S., including dairy cows. Two people working on farms have also been affected by bird flu.

The CDC said it’s risk assessment for the general public remains low, but it expects more cases.

Experts explained concerns by the growing number of mammals infected by bird flu are rare.

There is no evidence of human-to-human transmission at this time, but health officials fear that if the virus were to eventually spread widely “it could mutate into a form that could pass between humans.”