Avian influenza H5N1 infection in humans has spread to seven U.S. states, growing from 46 cases last week to 52 cases this week.

The case concerned health officials and experts because human-to-human transmission of the H5N1 strain of avian influenza could mark the start of a new pandemic.

The United States Department of Agriculture has confirmed the presence of bird flu in Honolulu County, Hawaii, the first of its kind in the state during this outbreak, which began in 2022. (Reporting by Christy Santhosh in Bengaluru;

Officials suspect wild migrating birds are likely to blame for the first known infection of a flock in Hawaii, which had been the last state in the country with no reported cases in poultry or wild birds during the current outbreak.

Bird flu was detected on an organic chicken farm in the centre of the Netherlands for the first time this year, the government said on Monday.

A viral respiratory disease is causing a multi-state outbreak in wild birds, poultry and other animals. Bird flu has also lead to more than four dozen infections in people in the U.S. While most human cases are mild,