H5N1 Flu

Read the latest on the rise of H5N1 avian flu. What happens if it combines with COVID-19? Experts answer the most pressing questions.

This story, like the virus it is about, continues to evolve. This article summarizes some of the recent findings and opinions related to H5N1 | Microbiology

Editorial: "We don't expect our public health officials to have all the answers. But when they do have information that can save lives, it's sheer dereliction of duty to hide it. Vaccines work, and Louisiana officials need to stop the pandering and say so."

Is there a connection between bird flu and microRNA, the tiny bits of RNA which have different tasks in regulating genes and producing the body's building blocks?

A study of bird flu viruses in cows shows the H5N1 strain does not pose an increased threat to humans.

Researchers are comparing the genetic features of the B.C. patient's avian flu strain with that of a Louisiana patient who died last week.

As sporadic H9N2 infections continue in China, rarer H10N3 infections in the past few years now total 4.

Not yet, says Harvard epidemiologist William Hanage — though he warns that the CDC should take a much closer look.

A recent study has generated alarming headlines, but it’s been unhelpfully exaggerated in the news.

The H5N1 virus has killed millions of poultry, driving up the price of eggs and causing some shortages.

NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue today announced it will receive $2 million from the federal government to enhance national avian influenza preparedness,

As the first bird flu death in the U.S. sparks concern over the ongoing spread of the virus, epidemiologist and microbiologist Meghan Davis explains what to know and do

After at least documented 66 cases of humans infected with bird flu – which is surely an undercount -- the first death was just reported. A 65-year old

Our overheating planet has changed how birds migrate — giving H5N1 the boost it needed to spread rapidly

Two months shy of the fifth anniversary of COVID-19 being declared a global pandemic, the US has recorded its first human death as a result of avian influenza H5N1 infection. The unidentified Louisiana man contracted the virus through contact with infected wild and domestic birds on his property in…

A child in California is presumed to have H5N1 bird flu, according to the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH). As of Dec. 23, there had been 36 confirmed human cases of bird flu in the state, according to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). This represents more than half of the human

The teen's two-month ordeal is being examined to better understand the path of avian flu from wild birds and poultry to humans, who get very sick.

There have been 14 recorded cases of avian influenza among humans in Washington, but none in Clark County. Local health officials still consider the risk to the general public to be low.

Moderna continues to cut costs, which could raise questions about the vaccine playbook used during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Scientific Reports - Asymptomatic infection and antibody prevalence to co-occurring avian influenza viruses vary substantially between sympatric seabird species following H5N1 outbreaks

The outbreak of clade 2.3.4.4b highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses of the H5N1 subtype (HPAI H5N1) in dairy cattle in the USA has so far resulted in spillover infections of at least 14 farm workersSUP1, 2–3/SUP, who presented with mild respiratory symptoms or conjunctivitis, and one individual with no known animal exposure who was hospitalized but recoveredSUP3,4/SUP. Here we characterized A/Texas/37/2024 (huTX37-H5N1), a virus isolated from the eyes of an infected farm worker who developed conjunctivitisSUP5/SUP. huTX37-H5N1 replicated efficiently in primary human alveolar epithelial cells, but less efficiently in corneal epithelial cells. Despite causing mild disease in the infected worker, huTX37-H5N1 proved lethal in mice and ferrets and spread systemically, with high titres in both respiratory and non-respiratory organs. Importantly, in four independent experiments in ferrets, huTX37-H5N1 transmitted by respiratory droplets in 17–33% of transmission pairs, and five of six exposed ferrets that became infected died. PB2-631L (encoded by bovine isolates) promoted influenza polymerase activity in human cells, suggesting a role in mammalian adaptation similar to that of PB2-627K (encoded by huTX37-H5N1). In addition, bovine HPAI H5N1 virus was found to be susceptible to polymerase inhibitors both in vitro and in mice. Thus, HPAI H5N1 virus derived from dairy cattle transmits by respiratory droplets in mammals without previous adaptation and causes lethal disease in animal models.

An animal disease specialist says the recent uptick in avian influenza outbreaks is in part due to the milder winter weather. Dr. Keith Poulsen with the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Center tells Brownfield many lakes and ponds have not frozen, so some wild birds are not migrating south as early as they normally would, putting more […]

America should have more aggressively intervened almost a year ago.

New research led by scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) suggests that many people already have immune cells on "stand by" to fight the H5N1 virus, also known as highly pathogenic avian influenza.

Richard Webby, PhD, the director of the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Centre or Studies on the Ecology of Influenza in Animals and Birds, discusses the evolving dynamics of H5N1 avian flu, its variants, and the low risk to humans while emphasizing vigilance among health care professionals.

HPAI H5N1 Virus Replication in Lung Organoids

NMPF and FARM offer H5N1 detection resources, helping farmers and regulators with milk testing strategies to safeguard cattle and improve outbreak preparedness.

In "The H5N1 Pandemic Cliff: Are We at the Edge?," Dr. Osterholm and Chris Dall discuss the ongoing challenge of H5N1 influenza, cover increasing trends in respiratory illness, and announce a new CIDRAP report on Chronic Wasting Disease. Dr. Osterholm also answers a listener question on H5N1 in wild birds and cats and provides a tribute to the late President Jimmy Carter.  Chronic Wasting Disease Spillover Preparedness and Response: Charting an Uncertain Future (CIDRAP) Influenza Vaccines Roadmap Initiative (CIDRAP) Follow us on Bluesky: Dr. Michael Osterholm (@mtosterholm.bsky.social) and CIDRAP (cidrap.bsky.social) Sign up for CIDRAP's daily newsletter MORE EPISODES