In a report published earlier this year, the CDC says there have been rare instances over the last decade where bird flu viruses have spread from mammals to people. Examples include the spread of bird flu from a cat to a human in 2016 and from cows in 2024.

The CDC posted a bird flu update to the health agency’s website on Wednesday, the first since President Donald Trump took office. The report provides a snapshot of recent human cases of H5N1, including two people who were hospitalized after being infected by different means, bringing the national total to 70 cases and one death.

The study provides growing evidence of the threat it poses even when cats have no direct exposure to sick dairy cows or poultry.