An extensive study on wastewater samples taken across the United States from May to July found traces of the H5N1 bird flu popping up -but only in areas populated by farm animals. Read on to know more.

Researchers in Texas detected H5N1 in wastewater from 10 cities, but the risk to humans is currently low. Ongoing surveillance is critical to monitor any potential changes in the virus that could increase its threat to public health.

"The widespread detection of influenza A (H5N1) virus in wastewater from 10 U.S. cities is troubling," the authors concluded. "Although the exact origin of the signal is currently unknown, the lack of clinical burden along with genomic information suggests multiple animal sources."

With cold and flu season approaching, it's worth knowing about another virus out there-albeit extremely rare: bird flu. Like the regular flu, bird flu virus symptoms include fever, cough and a sore throat.