bird flu
noun
: avian influenza
specifically : severe often fatal influenza A caused by strains of a subtype (H5N1) of the causative orthomyxovirus (Alphainfluenzavirus influenzae) that have produced epidemics in domestic birds especially in Asia with sporadic associated human infections
Examples of bird flu in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Interest in her field exploded in the late 1990s and again in the mid-aughts when the H5N1 bird flu virus began infecting and killing mass numbers of poultry in China and other parts of Southeast Asia — and infecting and killing some people as well. —
Helen Branswell, STAT, 25 Apr. 2026 Miller would see young kits playing and wrestling around their den one day, only to find them all dead from bird flu the next. —Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 21 Apr. 2026 Her dog had to be tested for bird flu after getting a respiratory infection. —Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Apr. 2026 Authorities say Georgia's latest case of bird flu has been detected in a backyard flock in Pierce County. —Dan Raby, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bird flu
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Helen Branswell, STAT, 25 Apr. 2026 Miller would see young kits playing and wrestling around their den one day, only to find them all dead from bird flu the next. —Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 21 Apr. 2026 Her dog had to be tested for bird flu after getting a respiratory infection. —Emily Holshouser, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Apr. 2026 Authorities say Georgia's latest case of bird flu has been detected in a backyard flock in Pierce County. —Dan Raby, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bird flu
Cite this Entry
“Bird flu.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/bird%20flu. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
bird flu
noun
: avian influenza
specifically : severe often fatal influenza A caused by strains of a subtype (H5N1) of the causative orthomyxovirus (Alphainfluenzavirus influenzae) that have produced epidemics in domestic birds especially in Asia with sporadic associated human infections
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