United States: Since its detection in North America late in 2021, Bird flu has destroyed poultry and dairy facilities while dramatically increasing the US egg prices. 

Bird flu has infected over 170 species of North American wild birds, including ducks, geese, gulls, owls, eagles, and other species. 

Experts recommend that safety measures be taken when dealing with sick or dead wild birds. 

More about the news 

The presence of bird feeders remains permitted even as the bird flu situation develops. 

Scientists confirm that low risk currently exists for general human populations despite bird flu transmissions across wild species and various birds, AP News reported. 

What to know about the bird flu outbreak in wild birds and what it means for backyard bird feeders – Outdoor News – https://t.co/Ngmc1StPgx pic.twitter.com/jpr1n9ARpl

— RV Lyfe (@RVLyfe) March 21, 2025

Since the virus started spreading, the US Agriculture Department (USDA) has confirmed the presence of bird flu in more than 12,000 individual birds. 

The federal disease monitoring figures represent only “a gross underestimate” because scientists never analyze almost all bird carcasses through testing, according to Bryan Richards, who leads the US Geological Survey’s National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin. 

Moreover, dabbling ducks, like mallards and blue-winged teal, can carry the virus with few symptoms because “these viruses co-evolved in waterfowl,” added Richards. 

Bird Flu Crisis Escalates 

The virus also spreads through feces and saliva from ducks, which causes disease transmission to additional birds or mammals, including foxes. 

Large bird populations gathered in flocks, such as goose colonies, experience the highest deaths if they lack intrinsic virus resistance. 

The outbreak of bird flu infected between 15,000 to 25,000 eared grebes near the Great Salt Lake, as reported by Utah state wildlife officials during the initial weeks of February. 

The practice of seabirds roosting together in big numbers leads to high impacts during outbreaks, AP News reported. 

According to Michael J. Parr of the American Bird Conservancy, songbirds like Northern cardinals and blue jays, alongside chickadees, may become infected and die, although their populations seem to survive better because birds do not cluster in big groups, enabling virus transmission. 

United States: Woodbridge Township high school authorities have revealed that one of their students is infected with tuberculosis in a message sent to education community members. 

More about the news 

The Colonia High School Principal Christopher Chieral stated, “At this time, the student is being treated and is doing well,” in a letter dated March 14. 

The school officials are making efforts along with the Middlesex County Office of Health Services to reveal students and staff who might have been exposed to the student. The letter added that anyone who is identified as a “close contact” would be screened for the disease. 

About the disease 

Proper treatment becomes critical for survival from the bacterial illness of tuberculosis. The county health services refused to provide any statement at that time, gothamist.com reported. 

A positive tuberculosis case occurs at a time when the United States and New Jersey have been facing growing tuberculosis diagnoses since 2020. 

Most states showed rising tuberculosis case counts during 2023 based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Shocking stats revealed by the CDC 

CDC reports show that New Jersey experienced an 18.7% rise in tuberculosis diagnoses, which brought the total cases from 289 to 343 in 2023. 

New Jersey maintains a tuberculosis case rate of 3.7 per 100,000 people, which exceeds the national average for 2023. 

According to CDC data, 8.3 tuberculosis cases per 100,000 persons appeared in New York City at this time, gothamist.com reported. 

The figures indicate that New York, outside of the city, had 1.9 tubercular cases for every 100,000 people during that time frame. 

The primary site of tuberculosis infection is the lungs, although the bacterium causes damage across various body organs, which include kidneys, liver, heart, bones, joints, and blood vessels. 

An individual can contract TB after an infected patient coughs sneezes, or spits through airborne transmission. 

United States: Dengue fever cases affecting US travelers show increasing numbers, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expect will continue their upward trend this year. 

More about the news 

The United States recorded a “record number” of dengue fever cases in travelers during the previous year when 3,484 people tested positive, marking an 84% increase from the previous year. 

A warning issued by the CDC stated, “This trend is expected to continue with increased dengue activity in endemic areas in 2025,” the Hill reported. 

Some sections of both the United States and worldwide areas maintain high rates of dengue fever transmission, while the US territories of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, along with multiple parts of the Americas, experience elevated disease activity monthly. 

The increased temperature of spring and summer makes it easier for dengue to be transmitted, thus raising the risk of travelers getting infected with the disease. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) confirms that the virus cases have seen consistent growth patterns during the previous five years, mostly throughout the American continent. 

WHO records rising cases 

During 2024, the World Health Organization recorded 7.6 million viral cases, resulting in 3.4 million confirmed infections, exceeding 16,000 severe infections and 3,000 reported virus-related deaths. 

The outbreak threshold for dengue fever persisted in Puerto Rico starting from February of the previous year. 

The Puerto Rican authorities issued a public health emergency declaration, which has remained in force since March 2024. 

According to the CDC, the island documented 6,291 dengue cases that hospitalized more than 52 percent of patients, with 13 deaths confirmed in 2024. 

An outbreak of dengue was declared in August 2024 on US Virgin Islands and this declaration continues to be active. 

As reported early in March 2025, the total outbreak cases identified in 2024 reached 208, and case counts in 2025 stood at 30. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted that Florida, together with California and New York, reported the most dengue cases to their records during 2024.