Avian influenza has plagued U.S.-based egg-laying farms since 2022, particularly during the winter. Kournikova, who stays mostly out of the spotlight, has been with singer Enrique Iglesias since 2001. Phyllis Fong, a 22-year veteran of the Agriculture Department, had told colleagues that she intended to stay after the White House fired her Friday.

One of the top egg producers in the U.S. confirmed that a farm tested positive for cases of bird flu over the weekend, the company said in a statement Tuesday.

First U.S. detection of virulent H5N9 strain, at a California duck farm, draws scrutiny as evidence of genetic reassortment that could trigger human outbreaks.

By India Edwards HealthDay Reporter WEDNESDAY, Jan. 29, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- A new strain of bird flu, H5N9, has been detected for the first time in the United States, raising concerns about how it continues to spread.

A new bird flu (highly pathogenic avian influenza) outbreak has been discovered in California. The newly reported H5N9 strain was found Monday at a duck farm in Merced County, California, according to the World Organization for Animal Health.