Bird flu uptick in US has CDC on alert for pandemic 'red flags': report

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are keeping a close eye on "red flags" relating to the bird flu and whether the illness might develop into a pandemic, according to a report. 

The latest numbers show 66 confirmed human cases of bird flu in the U.S. The CDC is taking a holiday break and will resume updates on human cases on Jan. 3.

"Identifying epidemiologically linked clusters of influenza A(H5N1) human cases might indicate the virus is better able to spread between humans," a CDC spokesperson told Newsweek.