The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department issued a wildlife health alert as avian influenza, or bird flu, continues spreading among wild birds in parts of the Panhandle. Last week, the agency cautioned about the “highly pathogenic” disease, citing circulation in wild bird populations in Amarillo and Lubbock.
The transmission risk of avian influenza from infected birds to people remains low. However, the department said the public should “take basic protective measures if contact with wild animals cannot be avoided.”
Notably, avian influenza (HPAI) is a zoonotic virus, meaning humans can contract it. The disease can spread directly between animals and indirectly through environmental contamination…