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Getting worried about bird flu

I'm getting worried about bird flu (aka H5N1 avian influenza). Calling it bird flu is a bit of a misnomer now, as recent news makes it clear...

But this one has rapidly infiltrated an astonishingly wide array of birds and animals, from squirrels and skunks to bottlenose dolphins, polar bears and, most recently, dairy cows. Genetic evidence released to the outside science community on Sunday suggests that the initial spillover event from birds to cows may have occurred as early as December 2023, months before the first known cases were reported by local officials. The major worry with avian influenza strains such as H5N1 is that they could someday develop the right assortment of mutations that would allow the virus to spread easily between humans while also causing severe illness in many.

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