United States: Health authorities have observed ongoing bird flu transmission between mammals, raising concerns about future outbreaks among humans. Diego Diel, a virologist at Cornell University, notes that this is one of the first clear instances of efficient mammalian-to-mammalian spread.
This specific B3.13 strain of the H5N1 virus, which is really highly virulent, has led to the culling of 90 million domestic birds in the U.S. since the year 2022. The CDC reports that while the risk to the general public remains low, with only 11 infected individuals in the U.S. showing mild symptoms, the situation is being closely monitored
Potential Risks and Mutation Concerns
As reported by Tessa in Science alert, yet a single confirmed death of a vulnerable person from the related H5N2 virus in the Mexico gives as a stark reminder of the risks involved should the pathogen evolve.

Here some concerns is that potential mutations could arise that it could lead to the adaptation to the mammals, spillover into the humans and potential efficient transmission in the humans in the future explains Diel.
Broad Mammalian Spread and Genetic Adaptation
Concerns over H5N1 potential are based largely on its talent for stealing genes from other influenza viruses which coupled with its ability to easily jump in between the different mammalian species like it has been detected in the mammals from the Arctic to the Antarctic which includes the polar bears, otters squirrels, dolphins, elephant seals, Antarctic fur seals and goats.
“I don’t think we have a good understanding of the molecular reason why these viruses, with this combination of some gene segments, with these mutations, now have this inherent ability of infecting many more species than in the past,” molecular virologist Daniel Perez told Will Sullivan at the Smithsonian Magazine earlier this year.
First Genetically Sequenced Strain Linked to U.S. Dairy Outbreak
There are some strains which causes the US dairy outbreak was the first genetically sequenced from a Canada goose in the Wyoming on 25 January 2024, the goose ws found along the central North American Migratory bird flyway by 25 march 2024 and cown in the dairy farms across multiple states along that same flyway which has contracted this version of the virus.
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