Bird flu looms in conversations about rising egg prices, but the threat extends far beyond commercial chickens. With increased cases of the avian virus popping up across the country, many worry about local flocks of all types, as well as other animals and humans, becoming casualties.

More than 166 million poultry and 12,000 wild birds have been affected by H5N1 bird flu since its detection in January 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The agency has also reported 70 human cases, including one in Texas detected in April 2024.

In Houston, animal care specialists and farm owners are watching the sky with caution. Kevin Hodge, vice president of animal programs at the Houston Zoo, is among those who have kept a close eye on the virus’s movements, especially since a wild duck tested positive for the flu in Texas City back in December. He explains that the Houston Zoo has a large avian population—around 570 birds representing many species—and that keeping them all safe requires strict biosecurity measures and constant vigilance.

“There was a positive case in Galveston County and from that point we implemented our avian influenza strategy, which requires us to change a lot of our protocols,” Hodge says. “We were pretty much on lockdown mode for about 68 days. Walk-through aviaries were closed. It also stopped all the tours with the higher at-risk species—and that’s not only birds but all carnivores, primates, and pigs.”

For more than two months, the zoo operated under strict precautions. During that period, staff restricted behind-the-scenes tours and made sure anyone entering high-risk areas answered questions about whether they owned chickens or had been near other birds. Keepers also took extra care to clean footwear and clothing before and after shifts, hoping no microscopic hitchhikers found a way into exhibits. By the time leadership felt comfortable reopening the walk-through aviaries, the Houston Zoo’s animal care team had consulted with other institutions, including zoos in Dallas, San Diego, Tampa, and Orlando, to compare risk assessments and decide when it was prudent to lift certain protocols.

“So far, we have been lucky but it’s ever-evolving,” Hodge says. “Normally, with avian influenza, you’d worry about it during the spring and fall migration, but it now seems to be a thing that is here all the time.”

That sense of round-the-clock readiness has already prompted shifts in how the Houston Zoo designs its exhibits and manages everyday routines. Hodge mentions that the new Birds of the World exhibit, which once had an open-top habitat for flamingos, now has netting overhead to stop wild waterfowl and ducks from dropping in uninvited. He also explains that keepers use nighttime laser pointers he calls “avian dissuaders” to deter herons or egrets from roosting over carnivore enclosures.

The zoo is not the only entity feeling the stress. On a small dairy farm just outside Houston, goat herder and milk producer Stacey Roussel of All We Need Farm keeps a wary eye on the situation. While she only owns a handful of chickens in her personal flock, Roussel invests considerable energy ensuring that no accidental cross-contamination occurs on her state-inspected dairy.

“It’s been on my radar for over a year and a half now ever since those first cases were found in Amarillo in a dairy herd,” Roussel says.

The flu typically doesn’t affect non-avian species, but since that first case was discovered in Texas in March 2024, the virus has been detected in 977 dairy herds across 17 states, per the CDC’s last count in February.

While those numbers sound alarming, Roussel doesn’t think panic is the right response. She relies on insight from veterinarians and state officials (including her state inspector) who share guidance on best practices and potential risks.

“After the first few outbreaks, [the state] brought us boxes and boxes of PPE. I had to build shelves in my storage unit to hold all those things,” Roussel says “We have all of those things—from masks and goggles to gowns and gloves—in case something were to happen.”

Roussel also points out that her facility pasteurizes its milk, which drastically lowers any chance of transferring pathogens to consumers or staff. That extra layer of security helps her breathe a little easier as she focuses on caring for her goats and her 10 chickens that were previously free-range.

“Now I have them cooped up, and they’re not sharing water or feed with my goats,” she says. “We’ve done that in the last six months to reduce our exposure.”

But questions about safety and prevention don’t end at the farm gate. Harris County Public Health, in an email to Houstonia, confirmed a single presumptive case in a waterfowl in late 2024 within its jurisdiction. A case is presumptive when it’s been detected by a local health agency but hasn’t yet been tested and confirmed by the CDC. The county agency emphasizes that no additional infections have been reported in humans or animals, but it continues to coordinate with local and regional partners to monitor the avian flu’s trajectory.

In the meantime, avoid contact with sick or deceased animals, do not consume raw or unpasteurized milk products, wash your hands frequently, and wear masks and gloves when dealing with birds. No word on those egg prices, though.