What you need to know about bird flu. Public health experts are closely watching avian influenza, which has affected chickens and cows and sickened some Americans.

Bird flu has decimated poultry flocks and infected cattle herds. The risk to humans is currently low, but that could easily change as influenza can rapidly change.

State officials say the highly pathogenic avian influenza – more commonly known as bird flu – is widespread in much of the state.

Researchers have stressed that bird flu still poses a minimal risk to the general public, though that may change as the virus continues to circulate and potentially mutate. But the many empty shelves in stores and higher prices on the eggs that people can find have raised concerns among consumers about the safety of the egg supply.