avian influenza

American  

[ey-vee-uhn in-floo-en-zuh] / ˈeɪ vi ən ˌɪn fluˈɛn zə /

Also avian flu

noun

Pathology

1. a form of influenza that afflicts poultry and other birds, and that is transmissible to humans.

   An earlier outbreak of avian influenza had been reported in the Northeast last month.

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Etymology

Origin of avian influenza

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

avian influenza

Australian wildlife workers have launched an unprecedented effort to vaccinate wild populations of little penguins against the highly contagious H5N1 avian influenza.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

An avian influenza outbreak had killed tens of millions of chickens and turkeys, and wholesale prices of Midwest large eggs hit $5.36 a dozen in late 2022.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026

What has helped is that the threat of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, has faded.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 1, 2026

H5N1 avian influenza, often called bird flu, was first identified in the United States in 2014.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 4, 2026

Over time mutation lets animal diseases jump to people: avian influenza becomes human influenza, bovine rinderpest becomes human measles, horsepox becomes human smallpox.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann