With soaring egg prices and ongoing bird flu headlines, many parents are uncertain about the risks and facts surrounding the virus, a national poll suggests. Most parents say they don't know if there have been cases of bird flu in their state, and less than half feel that they are able to find accurate and current information about it, according to the University of Michigan Health C.S.
Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health. "Many parents may hear about bird flu in the news but don't feel well-informed or know if they should be taking action to protect their families," said Mott Poll Co-Director Sarah Clark, M.P.
H. "This report highlights the challenge for parents to keep track of an emerging health situation and understand its potential threat to their child's health." Bird flu, or H5N1, which was reported in the U.
S. in March 2024, is widespread in wild birds worldwide that transmit infection to poultry and dairy cows. H5N1 infections in humans have so far been limited to those who come in close contact with infected animals, including U.
S. farmworkers. While the current public health risk has been deemed low, with no evidence of transmission from human to human, the outbreak has increased public concern about the potential for broader transmission.
Previous outbreaks of H5N1, including one in 2003-2005, highlight this possibility. Steps parents believe protect families from avian flu While one in five parents say the media is making too big a deal abo.