The Highly Pathogenic avian influenza virus is a highly contagious disease that spreads among birds and other animals.

The risk of transmission to humans remains low, but it can happen. As the popularity of keeping backyard and urban chicken flocks grows, health and agriculture experts warn that bird flu can pose a risk to your feathered friends — and by extension, a small risk to you, as well.

The US Department of Agriculture last week issued a conditional license for an avian flu vaccine for use in chickens, as an outbreak of a newer variant ravages poultry flocks, contributing to the sky high price of eggs.