How Does Bird Flu Spreads to Dairy Cattle, Farm Worker Infected Work?

Bird flu is a sickness that can move from birds to cows and even people who work on farms.

Imagine you're playing with your friend in the park, and you both touch the same slide, suddenly, you both have the same germs. That's kind of how bird flu works. Birds get sick with bird flu, and sometimes they cough or sneeze near dairy cattle (which are like big, slow-moving cows that make milk). When those cows breathe in the germs from the birds, they can get sick too.

Now imagine you're a farmer who helps feed the cows. If the cows have bird flu, they might sneeze or cough near you, and you could catch it too! It's like when your brother gets a cold and then hugs you before bed, soon enough, you are also sniffly.

• Birds get sick with bird flu.
• They spread germs to dairy cattle, maybe by being near them or sneezing on them.
• Farm workers can catch it from the cows if they touch them or breathe in the same air.

It's like a germ relay race, birds pass the baton to cows, and then cows pass it to people!