Letters to the Editor: L.A. Times’ coverage of the bird flu is a great public service
1 week, 5 days ago

Letters to the Editor: L.A. Times’ coverage of the bird flu is a great public service

LA Times  

To the editor: Thanks to The Times’ editorial staff for publishing Dr. Peter Chin-Hong’s Dec. 20 opinion piece, “Bird flu is coming for humans. We can either get ready or court disaster.” Thanks also to The Times for its excellent coverage of the spread of H5N1 across our state and nation. As a physician who cared for patients, families and co-workers during the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, I deeply appreciate Chin-Hong’s wise call for increased public awareness and scientifically sound steps to prevent or mitigate a serious outbreak or pandemic of a newly emerging bird flu. The Times, our elected representatives and our medical and public health leadership will need to deal effectively with the challenges posed in the COVID-19 pandemic, including public apathy, anti-science sentiment and political bias.

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History of this topic

Biden ramps up bird flu spending as scientists fret about H5N1 response. Here’s what to know
3 days, 3 hours ago

Biden ramps up bird flu spending as scientists fret about H5N1 response. Here’s what to know

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy As concerns about outbreaks of bird flu and the nation’s response …

‘Worrisome’ mutations found in H5N1 bird flu virus isolated from Canadian teenager
6 days, 21 hours ago

‘Worrisome’ mutations found in H5N1 bird flu virus isolated from Canadian teenager

LA Times  

A California Department of Food and Agriculture technician perform tests on chickens for bird flu in 2006 at the Best Live Poultry & Fish store in Sylmar. The fate of a Canadian teenager who was infected with H5N1 bird flu in early November, and subsequently admitted to an intensive care unit, has finally been revealed: She has fully recovered. But …

Which infectious disease is likely to be biggest emerging problem in 2025?
1 week, 1 day ago

Which infectious disease is likely to be biggest emerging problem in 2025?

The Hindu  

COVID emerged suddenly, spread rapidly and killed millions of people around the world. Indeed, bird flu can infect humans with 61 cases in the U.S. this year already, mostly resulting from farm workers coming into contact with infected cattle and people drinking raw milk. Coupling this with a 30% mortality rate from human infections, bird flu is quickly jumping up …

Bird flu may be mutating to become more transmissible to humans say scientists after woman caught first severe case in the US
1 week, 2 days ago

Bird flu may be mutating to become more transmissible to humans say scientists after woman caught first severe case in the US

Daily Mail  

Bird flu could be mutating to become more transmissible to humans, scientists have warned, as the US reported its first severe case that left one woman hospitalised. So far 65 confirmed human cases of H5N1 infection have been reported in 2024, following a widespread outbreak across bird and cattle farms in the United States. Pictured: Culling has begun at infected …

Bird flu cases are on the rise for humans and animals. Here's how to protect your pets
1 week, 2 days ago

Bird flu cases are on the rise for humans and animals. Here's how to protect your pets

NPR  

Bird flu cases are on the rise for humans and animals. Here's how to protect your pets NPR's Scott Simon talks to Kristen Coleman, an infectious disease researcher at the University of Maryland, about the recent cases of bird flu in cats and what steps to take to protect pets. UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER #2: U.S. health officials are warning pet owners, …

'We are screwed': Virologists warn about disease they say could become the next pandemic
1 week, 3 days ago

'We are screwed': Virologists warn about disease they say could become the next pandemic

Raw Story  

A new report from PBS highlights the potential danger of bird flu turning into a full-blown pandemic in the United States. In particular, PBS spoke with several experts who said the United States has been behind the ball when it comes to keeping a handle on the pandemic and they point to the fact that the United States Department of …

Bird flu outbreak claims lives of 20 wildcats at Washington sanctuary
1 week, 3 days ago

Bird flu outbreak claims lives of 20 wildcats at Washington sanctuary

Hindustan Times  

A sanctuary in Washington state was struck with tragedy as their 20 wildcats died due to a bird flu outbreak which has affected animal lives at poultry farms, dairy cattle and even some human lives. Tragedy at Washington wildlife sanctuary as 20 wildcats die from bird flu outbreak. Washington sanctuary mourns wildcats’ death The non-profit organisation reported that various types …

This Disease Is Likely To Be Biggest Emerging Problem In 2025
Trending News
1 week, 4 days ago

This Disease Is Likely To Be Biggest Emerging Problem In 2025

ABP News  

Nottingham, Dec 26 COVID emerged suddenly, spread rapidly and killed millions of people around the world. Indeed, bird flu can infect humans with 61 cases in the US this year already, mostly resulting from farm workers coming into contact with infected cattle and people drinking raw milk. Coupling this with a 30% mortality rate from human infections, bird flu is …

Why scientists say we are fighting H5N1 bird flu with one hand tied behind our backs
1 week, 6 days ago

Why scientists say we are fighting H5N1 bird flu with one hand tied behind our backs

LA Times  

As the H5N1 bird flu virus steamrolls its way across the globe — killing wild animals, commercial livestock and even some people — scientists and health officials fear we’re on the precipice of another global pandemic. “YES.” Felicia Goodrum, a molecular virologist at the University of Arizona, said gain-of-function research could enable health officials to recognize worrisome H5N1 mutations and …

How America lost control of bird flu, setting the stage for another pandemic
1 week, 6 days ago

How America lost control of bird flu, setting the stage for another pandemic

Salon  

Keith Poulsen’s jaw dropped when farmers showed him images on their cellphones at the World Dairy Expo in Wisconsin in October. “I don’t know if the bird flu will become a pandemic, but if it does, we are screwed.” To understand how the bird flu got out of hand, KFF Health News interviewed nearly 70 government officials, farmers and farmworkers, …

L.A. County resident infected by bird flu as county spreads awareness
2 weeks ago

L.A. County resident infected by bird flu as county spreads awareness

LA Times  

This colorized electron microscope image provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in 2024 shows avian influenza A virus particles, red-yellow, grown in cultured cells. Los Angeles County reported its first case of human H5N1 bird flu infection Monday, as health officials sought to spread public awareness of the threat. The infected person was an adult who …

Bird flu outbreak hits Britain's turkey farms as tens of thousands are culled and rest ordered to be kept indoors days before Christmas
2 weeks, 2 days ago

Bird flu outbreak hits Britain's turkey farms as tens of thousands are culled and rest ordered to be kept indoors days before Christmas

Daily Mail  

Turkey farms have been hit by an outbreak of bird flu as tens of thousands of birds have been culled and ordered to be kept indoors just before Christmas. This is the first outbreak of bird flu in captive animals since February and no humans have yet been infected with the risk of spread to people remaining very low. Avian …

What to know about Newsom’s state of emergency over bird flu
2 weeks, 4 days ago

What to know about Newsom’s state of emergency over bird flu

LA Times  

An animal caretaker collects a blood sample from a dairy calf vaccinated against bird flu at the National Animal Disease Center research facility in Ames, Iowa, on July 31, 2024. State of emergency declared in California while CDC confirms severe case of bird flu in Louisiana California’s response to rising cases of bird flu among dairy herds kicked into high …

California declares state of emergency over bird flu
2 weeks, 4 days ago

California declares state of emergency over bird flu

Raw Story  

Gavin Newsom officially declared a state of emergency over bird flu concerns Wednesday, a step he said was necessary to prevent the spread of the virus. The bird flu disease – known as Type A H5N1 – has already appeared among dairy cattle in 16 states and has been spreading rapidly in California, Newsom said in a news release. Newsom’s …

First severe bird flu case in US reported in Louisiana
2 weeks, 5 days ago

First severe bird flu case in US reported in Louisiana

India Today  

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said a person in Louisiana has been hospitalized with a severe case of H5N1 bird flu, the first such case in the United States. Health officials emphasize that bird flu is still mainly an animal health issue, and the risk to the general public remains low. Signs and symptoms of Bird Flu: …

Gov. Newsom declares emergency in California after CDC confirms severe case of bird flu in Louisiana
2 weeks, 5 days ago

Gov. Newsom declares emergency in California after CDC confirms severe case of bird flu in Louisiana

LA Times  

Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Wednesday as the H5N1 bird flu virus moved from the Central Valley to Southern California dairy herds, while federal officials confirmed the first U.S. case of severe illness in a hospitalized Louisiana patient — a concerning development as the virus continues to spread throughout the nation via migrating birds. “These additional laboratory investigations …

Opinion: Bird flu is coming for humans. We can either get ready or court disaster
2 weeks, 6 days ago

Opinion: Bird flu is coming for humans. We can either get ready or court disaster

LA Times  

Bird flu has seen a resurgence in the U.S. this year, with California leading the pack. Since 2022, millions of egg-laying chickens have been exposed to, infected with and culled or killed by H5N1 in the U.S. What stands out this year is how widespread the infection has been among dairy cows, which are spreading it to farmworkers — the …

Mega-Farms Are Driving the Threat of Bird Flu
3 weeks, 2 days ago

Mega-Farms Are Driving the Threat of Bird Flu

Wired  

This story originally appeared on Inside Climate News and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration. “It’s a lot of trouble.” Further north and west, in the San Joaquin Valley—the heart of the state’s dairy industry—the H5N1 virus, commonly known as bird flu, has rippled through the massive herds that provide most of the country’s milk. The Centers for Disease …

Could bird flu trigger another pandemic?
3 weeks, 5 days ago

Could bird flu trigger another pandemic?

Firstpost  

The deadly bird flu variant H5N1 is spreading more widely than ever before. Reuters H5N1 bird flu, a type of avian influenza, is once again making headlines after dozens of people in the United States were infected with the virus. Late last month, the headline of an opinion piece in the New York Times stated, “A bird flu pandemic would …

We're Pandemic Experts. Here's What Worries Us Most About Bird Flu.
3 weeks, 5 days ago

We're Pandemic Experts. Here's What Worries Us Most About Bird Flu.

Huff Post  

Jonathan R. Beckerman via Getty Images Experts are concerned for farm workers who are most likely to get sick from bird flu. you might be able to give the H5N1 virus genes that make it more virulent in people or that make it possible to transmit more easily from person to person, and that’s definitely something we want to prevent.” …

Health Experts Warn of Bird Flu's Pandemic Threat
3 weeks, 5 days ago

Health Experts Warn of Bird Flu's Pandemic Threat

Deccan Chronicle  

Paris: Health experts have been sounding the alarm about the potential pandemic threat posed by bird flu, which has been showing signs of mutating as it spreads among cows and infects people in the United States. The deadly bird flu variant H5N1 first emerged in China in 1996, but over the last four years it has sp More than 300 …

Authorities probe whether presumptive bird flu case is connected to raw milk
3 weeks, 6 days ago

Authorities probe whether presumptive bird flu case is connected to raw milk

LA Times  

Public health authorities are seeking to determine if a Marin County child stricken with flu could have potentially contracted the illness by drinking infected raw milk that was subject to a recall. “Since announcing multiple recalls of raw milk due to contamination with bird flu, state and local public health experts have received reports of illnesses from 10 individuals who …

US orders testing of milk supply for bird flu amid growing concerns
4 weeks, 2 days ago

US orders testing of milk supply for bird flu amid growing concerns

Deccan Chronicle  

The US government has taken steps to better monitor the spread of bird flu among dairy cows, ordering testing of the nation’s milk supply for the H5N1 virus. While bird flu is typically associated with poultry, recent evidence suggests that it has begun spreading to cows, with initial reports indicating transmission through a single event likely in late 2023. Although …

Bird flu may need a single mutation to spread among humans, study finds
4 weeks, 2 days ago

Bird flu may need a single mutation to spread among humans, study finds

LA Times  

Cows are milked at a Fresno dairy farm. Here’s what you need to know to start your weekend: The H5N1 bird flu may be one mutation away from being a threat to humans. And here’s today’s e-newspaper The H5N1 bird flu virus may need just one mutation to be a threat to humans, a study found. “Yikes,” “Oh great” and …

Possible H5N1 bird flu case in Marin County child; source of infection unknown
4 weeks, 2 days ago

Possible H5N1 bird flu case in Marin County child; source of infection unknown

LA Times  

Health officials in Marin County are investigating a possible H5N1 bird flu case in a child. We need to know much more about this case, including some hypotheses for how she or he may have contracted the virus,” said Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Center at Brown University in Providence, R.I. “Given the proximity of this case to the …

USDA set to test national milk supply so bird flu spread can be tracked
1 month ago

USDA set to test national milk supply so bird flu spread can be tracked

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The nation’s milk supply will soon be subject to testing as …

A single mutation could make bird flu much worse, study finds
1 month ago

A single mutation could make bird flu much worse, study finds

Salon  

As the number of human bird flu cases continues to rise and more dairy farms across the country report outbreaks, scientists are increasingly concerned that the H5N1 virus will mutate to better infect people. In the lab, the authors of the study found that a single mutation in the primary protein, hemagglutinin could give it the ability to cling onto …

Are we on the brink of another pandemic? Chinese researchers think so
1 month ago

Are we on the brink of another pandemic? Chinese researchers think so

Firstpost  

Chinese scientists have said that a strain of a bird flu from 2021 has the potential to lead to a new pandemic Chinese researchers have said that the world could be close to having another pandemic in the near future. Even as the memories of the Covid-19 pandemic are afresh in many people’s mind, which emerged in China’s Wuhan, Chinese …

Just one mutation can make H5N1 bird flu a threat to humans, California researchers say
1 month ago

Just one mutation can make H5N1 bird flu a threat to humans, California researchers say

LA Times  

California researchers say the world may be just one genetic tweak away from human-to-human transmission of the H5N1 bird flu virus — a worrisome mutation that could open the door to widespread human infections and possibly even a pandemic, according to some experts. In a study published Thursday in the journal Science, Scripps Research Institute biologists determined that a single …

Letters to the Editor: A doctor’s fear that we’re careening toward a bird flu disaster
1 month ago

Letters to the Editor: A doctor’s fear that we’re careening toward a bird flu disaster

LA Times  

Bird flu outbreaks at dairy farms are sparking fears of a major threat to human health. To the editor: As a retired public health and emergency medicine physician, I want to thank you for your recent articles about the bird flu, most recently those articles by Times reporters Susanne Rust and Melissa Gomez. The combination of a mutating and potentially …

Five million doses of bird flu vaccine bought by UK to prepare for pandemic
1 month ago

Five million doses of bird flu vaccine bought by UK to prepare for pandemic

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The UK government has bought more than 5 million doses of …

H5N1 strain of bird flu can spread through air, study finds
1 month ago

H5N1 strain of bird flu can spread through air, study finds

India Today  

Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, primarily affects birds and some cattle. The findings drew attention to the fact that while the 2005 strain of H5N1 did not demonstrate any infectious virus particles in air samples, newer strains as recent as 2022 in a European polecat and 2024 in a US dairy worker showed limited virus in the air. …

Trump's failure and the next pandemic
1 month, 1 week ago

Trump's failure and the next pandemic

Raw Story  

“The political folks believed that because was going to be relegated to Democratic states, that they could blame those governors, and that would be an effective political strategy.” —Vanity Fair’s Katherine Eban quoting Jared Kushner’s team in March, 2020. And it appears that the virus that has her at death’s door is a recent mutation: “But researchers have homed in …

Bird flu is getting worse. Disease experts worry Trump and RFK Jr. will mangle response like COVID
1 month, 1 week ago

Bird flu is getting worse. Disease experts worry Trump and RFK Jr. will mangle response like COVID

Salon  

As America gears up for the year's end and a change in administration, the topic of public health has dominated many conversations throughout the election season, but one facet has been noticeably absent: bird flu. “It would be important for the Trump administration, as it's rolling out its team that's going to be heading CDC, HHS, USDA, that they talk …

Scientists warn of the increased dangers of a new bird flu strain
1 month, 1 week ago

Scientists warn of the increased dangers of a new bird flu strain

NPR  

Scientists warn of the increased dangers of a new bird flu strain The spread of bird flu continues to trouble scientists. His experiments with infected cattle indicated bird flu was primarily spreading through virus-laden milk, not as you'd expect from a typical respiratory virus. STONE: The intervening months have made it painfully clear bird flu has a strong foothold in …

Experts say bird flu is more widespread than we think: ‘We are in a soup of virus’
1 month, 1 week ago

Experts say bird flu is more widespread than we think: ‘We are in a soup of virus’

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Scientists are warning about the continued transmission of dangerous H5N1 bird …

Three mysterious bird flu cases worry experts that another pandemic is looming
1 month, 1 week ago

Three mysterious bird flu cases worry experts that another pandemic is looming

Salon  

This month, two independent cases of bird flu were detected in North American children without any known exposure to infected animals, raising concerns that the H5N1 virus that causes it is inching closer to evolving in a way that allows it to spread between humans. Again, if the H5N1 virus develops the ability to efficiently spread between humans, the world …

Despite warnings from bird flu experts, it’s business as usual in California dairy country
1 month, 1 week ago

Despite warnings from bird flu experts, it’s business as usual in California dairy country

LA Times  

It was a late fall morning and hundreds of cows — black and white splattered Holsteins and cappuccino-colored Jerseys — milled about a San Joaquin Valley dairy farm in the largest milk-producing state in the nation. The scene seemed utterly unremarkable — except for the fact that five days earlier, the H5N1 bird flu virus that has ravaged California’s dairy …

Why a teenager's bird-flu infection is leaving scientists concerned
1 month, 1 week ago

Why a teenager's bird-flu infection is leaving scientists concerned

India Today  

A teenager in Vancouver, Canada, is in critical condition after contracting an H5N1 avian influenza virus, raising concerns among researchers about the virus's potential to adapt to humans. Genome sequencing suggests that the virus has mutations that might enhance its ability to infect human airway cells, sparking fears about its evolution, according to a report in Nature. The virus shares …

Bird flu worries European health agencies as they increase virus surveillance
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Bird flu worries European health agencies as they increase virus surveillance

Salon  

As flu season nears, Europe is increasing surveillance for human cases of H5N1 influenza, also known as bird flu. “We’ve updated our guidance to include milder symptoms in individuals exposed to birds or other animals,” Angeliki Melidou, principal expert in respiratory viruses at the ECDC, told The Telegraph. “The priority is to strengthen surveillance and ensure we monitor and follow …

The number of cases of H5N1 bird flu is growing - but can it be caught by eating chicken?
1 month, 2 weeks ago

The number of cases of H5N1 bird flu is growing - but can it be caught by eating chicken?

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy As the number of human bird flu cases have continued to …

Possible bird flu infection reported in California child, health department reports
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Possible bird flu infection reported in California child, health department reports

Salon  

The state of California has detected a possible bird flu infection in a child in the Bay Area. The bird flu crisis, driven by the H5N1 virus, began several years ago, but ramped up considerably in April when dairy cows started becoming infected. Related Emails reveal how health departments struggle to track human cases of bird flu Although there have …

H5N1 bird flu infects five more humans in California, and one in Oregon
1 month, 3 weeks ago

H5N1 bird flu infects five more humans in California, and one in Oregon

LA Times  

As H5N1 bird flu spreads among California dairy herds and southward-migrating birds, health officials announced Friday that six more human cases of infection: five in California and one in Oregon — the state’s first. California’s state epidemiologist, Erica Pan, said that while the announcement of five cases today may sound like a sudden explosion or acceleration in cases, it was …

Canadian teen in critical condition with what is believed to be human case of bird flu
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Canadian teen in critical condition with what is believed to be human case of bird flu

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A Canadian teen is hospitalized in critical condition with what is …

Canadian teenager infected with H5N1 bird flu in critical condition
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Canadian teenager infected with H5N1 bird flu in critical condition

LA Times  

Canadian health officials announced Tuesday that a teenager infected with H5N1 bird flu from an unknown source is in critical condition. However, Nuzzo said, while this virus could “be a lot less deadly than what we’ve seen to date,” it could also be far more deadly than any pandemic in a long time, including COVID-19. Her third concern is how …

Bird flu: Canada teen in critical condition with H5 virus
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Bird flu: Canada teen in critical condition with H5 virus

CNN  

CNN — A Canadian teenager is hospitalized in critical condition with bird flu, health officials reported Tuesday. People with ARDS typically need help breathing with machines such as a ventilator, but officials did not offer specifics on the teen’s treatment except to say they’re receiving antiviral medications. These cases have all been among adults, however, and Henry said it’s possible …

H5N1 bird flu might be more prevalent among humans than public health data shows
1 month, 3 weeks ago

H5N1 bird flu might be more prevalent among humans than public health data shows

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy As H5N1 bird flu …

Canada's first human H5 bird flu case detected in British Columbia, doctors call it a ‘rare event’
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Canada's first human H5 bird flu case detected in British Columbia, doctors call it a ‘rare event’

Hindustan Times  

Canada has detected its first-ever presumptive human H5 bird flu case. British Columbia reported the case on Saturday after a teenager tested positive for avian influenza caused by the H5 influenza virus, according to an official statement published on the official website of the western province. Image used for representational purposes only First presumptive human H5 bird flu case detected …

CDC issues warning over outbreak of 'cow flu' in multiple Americans
1 month, 4 weeks ago

CDC issues warning over outbreak of 'cow flu' in multiple Americans

Daily Mail  

The H5N1 bird flu virus spreading among cows is infecting more farm workers than experts realized. The CDC tested 115 workers at farms suffering outbreaks and found eight of them tested positive for the virus - an infection rate of seven percent. The US Department of Agriculture has said it will begin testing bulk milk for bird flu, signaling concern …

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