No human cases of bird flu have been confirmed in New York, but the virus has emerged among animals. Public health leaders are preparing, just in case.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is going dark, along with other federal agencies within the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This week, the returning Trump administration told these agencies to stop talking to the public—for how long, no one knows.

ATLANTA >> President Donald Trump’s administration has paused almost all external communication from health agencies, including the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, The Washington Post and The Associated Press reported this week.