The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration will use the funding to detect and track the virus, called H5N1, that’s been spreading in wild birds, poultry and domestic cows, according to a statement Friday (May 10).

Scrutiny of the CDC’s response to health crises has risen after widespread criticism for inadequate early testing for emerging health threats such as Covid and the mpox virus. While just one H5N1 infection has been recorded in a person in the US so far, scientists have cautioned that virus has the potential to mutate into something far more transmissible and dangerous.

The CDC will use US$34 million to test for and analyse viral sequences, while another US$29 million will be dedicated to tracing and monitoring people who may have come into contact with the virus. Other funds will be used to study vaccine candidates and wastewater sites. The CDC is also distributing protective equipment to farm workers, prioritizing those with infected herds.