Category: Avian Influenza
Could the Bird Flu Become Airborne?
NYT Scientists were slow to recognize that Covid spreads through the air. Some are now trying to get ahead of the bird flu. In early February 2020, China locked down more than 50 million people, hoping to hinder the spread of a new coronavirus. No one knew at the time exactly how it was spreading, but Lidia […]
Feb 4, 2025
Why scientists’ fears about bird flu are intensifying
NPR Bird flu or avian influenza is continuing to spread among livestock and other mammals in the United States, raising fears that another pandemic is in our future. Last month, California declared a state of emergency due to rising cases in dairy cattle, and there have been over 65 human cases in the U.S. during […]
Jan 29, 2025
Rare bird flu strain found in California raises potential of wider spread
Washington Post First U.S. detection of virulent H5N9 strain, at a California duck farm, draws scrutiny as evidence of genetic reassortment that could trigger human outbreaks. A new strain of avian influenza has been identified for the first time in the United States, raising concerns that the virus is transforming in a way that could eventually cause […]
Jan 28, 2025
How are H5N9 and H5N1 different? What to know after California bird flu outbreak
CBS News A California duck farm made headlines this week after the World Organization of Animal Health published a report by U.S. authorities that a strain of bird flu that scientists call H5N9 had been found among sick birds in the flock. This is far from the first time that H5N9 has been found in birds around the country. […]
Jan 28, 2025
Ohio leads the nation in bird flu cases. What’s being done about it?
WOSU Ohio is leading the nation in cases of bird flu. That’s potentially a big hit to the state, the second-largest producer of eggs in the country. And the state’s agriculture department said with new test numbers coming in, the total of the infected chickens, ducks and turkeys continues to grow. “We’re pushing over 6 […]
Jan 28, 2025
How are H5N9 and H5N1 different? What to know after California bird flu outbreak
CBS A California duck farm made headlines this week after the World Organization of Animal Health published a report by U.S. authorities that a strain of bird flu that scientists call H5N9 had been found among sick birds in the flock. This is far from the first time that H5N9 has been found in birds around the country. But […]
Jan 28, 2025
US reports first outbreak of H5N9 bird flu in poultry
Reuters The United States has reported its first outbreak of H5N9 bird flu in poultry on a duck farm in California, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) said on Monday. U.S. authorities also detected the more common H5N1 strain on the same farm in Merced County, California, they said in a report to Paris-based […]
Jan 28, 2025
‘A Dangerous Virus’: Bird Flu Enters a New Phase
NYT A pandemic is not inevitable, scientists say. But the outbreak has passed worrisome milestones in recent weeks, including cattle that may have been reinfected. When bird flu first struck dairy cattle a year ago, it seemed possible that it might affect a few isolated herds and disappear as quickly as it had appeared. Instead, […]
Jan 28, 2025
First U.S. H5N1 Death Sparks Urgency: Scientists Warn That Bird Flu Is Mutating Faster Than Expected
Science Daily Researchers at Texas Biomed have identified nine mutations in a strain of bird flu found in a person in Texas. Bad news: This strain shows an increased ability to cause disease and is more effective at replicating in the brain. Good news: Current approved antiviral treatments remain effective against this strain. Researchers at […]
Jan 22, 2025
Bird flu found in a second commercial flock, Georgia agriculture officials say
Atlanta News A second commercial case of avian influenza, or the “bird flu,” has been confirmed in northeast Georgia, according to the Georgia Department of Agriculture. The disease was found in a commercial flock in Elbert County on Wednesday, the department said. That’s the same county the first case was found in last Friday. “This […]
Jan 22, 2025