bird flu

noun

: avian influenza
specifically : severe often fatal influenza A caused by strains of a subtype (H5N1) of the causative orthomyxovirus that have produced epidemics in domestic birds especially in Asia with sporadic associated human infections

Examples of bird flu in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Egg prices have declined partly due to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's five-point plan to tackle the issue, which includes battling the bird flu and importing eggs from nations including Turkey and South Korea. — Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2025 One report shows that while 67 percent of Americans blame the bird flu directly, 31 percent believe that government regulations and policies are contributing to the high costs. — Lee Habeeb, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Apr. 2025 The steep hikes contributed to the nearly 60% price increase since February of last year, due to the worsening bird flu outbreak and inflation as a whole. — Stephanie Wenger, People.com, 3 Apr. 2025 This is up from only 35% of Americans in June of last year, in the face of rising bird flu and measles cases. — Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bird flu

Word History

First Known Use

1972, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bird flu was in 1972

Rhymes for bird flu

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Browse Nearby Words

bird flower
bird flu
bird font
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Cite this Entry

“Bird flu.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bird%20flu. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.

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Medical Definition

bird flu

noun
ˈbərd- How to pronounce bird flu (audio)
: avian influenza
specifically : severe often fatal influenza A caused by strains of a subtype (H5N1) of the causative orthomyxovirus that have produced epidemics in domestic birds especially in Asia with sporadic associated human infections

More from Merriam-Webster on bird flu

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bird flu

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