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CDC Reports Mutations in First Severe Human Case of H5N1 Bird Flu in Louisiana; Odds of Pandemic at 18%

Dec 27, 2024, 01:23 PM

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that samples from the first severe human case of H5N1 bird flu in the United States, identified in a patient from Louisiana, have shown mutations that may enhance the virus's ability to bind to human respiratory cells. These mutations, specifically at amino acid positions A134V, N182K, and E186D, were not found in samples collected from the patient's infected backyard birds, indicating the virus may have mutated within the human host. The CDC noted that while these changes could increase the virus's transmissibility to humans, there is currently no evidence of human-to-human transmission. The situation has raised concerns, with odds of a bird flu pandemic reportedly increasing to 18%. Health officials are closely monitoring the developments as the potential for further viral evolution exists.