“Why hasn’t the bird flu pandemic started?”
By Kai Kupferschmidt
“For the H5N1 influenza virus to spark a human pandemic, its genome must acquire mutations that alter several of its proteins. Some have now been seen in viruses infecting people, but none of those appear to have transmitted onward.”
to read the full article go to
https://www.science.org/content/article/why-hasn-t-bird-flu-pandemic-started#:~:text=For%20the%20H5N1%20influenza%20virus,appear%20to%20have%20transmitted%20onward
“H5N1 bird flu is closer to gaining pandemic potential than we thought”
By Michael Le Page
“The H5N1 bird flu virus that has spread worldwide is already better at infecting people than earlier strains. What’s more, a single mutation could allow it to infect the cells lining our noses and throats, making it more likely to go airborne.
This change alone is not enough for the virus to be capable of causing a pandemic. However, if a virus with this mutation swapped genes with a human flu virus, it could acquire pandemic potential almost instantly.”
to read the full article go to
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2459077-h5n1-bird-flu-is-closer-to-gaining-pandemic-potential-than-we-thought/#:~:text=The%20H5N1%20bird%20flu%20virus,more%20likely%20to%20go%20airborne
“It’s Time to End the Denial About Bird Flu”
By Crystal Heath and Gene Baur
“Pigs can foster the creation of a more virulent and transmissible human pathogen due to their ability to harbor both avian and human influenza viruses. Yet, officials continue to dismiss those voicing concerns, calling for more subdued messaging so as not to foster panic—and time and time again, the industry narrative is refuted. We were told the virus doesn’t spread from cow to cow; that was quickly proven false. In June, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack told scientific experts the virus would just “burn itself out,” only to have the virus explode in California a few months later.”
to read the full article go to
https://time.com/7200002/bird-flu-outbreak-denial-essay/
“Avian Flu Could Define Trump’s Second Presidency”
By Artis Curiskis
“Reveal’s Peabody-nominated COVID Tracking Project series explored how the government struggled to procure essential data to guide the Covid-19 response, navigate bureaucratic hindrances in the midst of an emergency, and mend a fragmented response to the pandemic. Many of these issues rested on weak data infrastructure and a lack of funding to support local public health agencies, causing the federal government to rely on a volunteer-led data collection effort. Public health agencies are working on fixing those issues, but the anticipated cuts will likely stymie those efforts and exacerbate the systemic problems.”
to read the full article go to
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/12/trump-bird-flu-covid-response/
“Sex, a Hex and a Sick Child Offer Clues to an Epidemic’s Birth”
“In a remote Congolese town, a medical mystery led to the discovery of alarming changes in the mpox virus and, eventually, to a global health emergency.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/07/health/mpox-virus-congo.html#:~:text=Global%20Health-,Sex%2C%20a%20Hex%20and%20a%20Sick%20Child%20Offer%20Clues%20to,to%20a%20global%20health%20emergency.