CDC Reports Mutations in First Severe Human Case of H5N1 Bird Flu in Louisiana; Patient Over 65, Odds at 18%

Dec 27, 2024, 04:45 PM

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that genetic analysis of samples from the first severe human case of H5N1 bird flu in Louisiana reveals mutations that may enhance the virus's ability to bind to human respiratory cells. These mutations, detected in a patient over 65 years old, include changes in the hemagglutinin gene, which is critical for the virus's attachment to cells. The CDC noted that these mutations were not present in samples from the patient's infected backyard poultry, suggesting the virus has evolved within the human host. Although the analysis indicates potential for increased transmissibility, the CDC has emphasized that there is currently no evidence of human-to-human transmission. The CDC is closely monitoring the situation as the risk to the general public remains low, with odds of the bird flu being declared a pandemic currently at 18%. Authorities are also conducting genomic surveillance to track the virus's evolution and its implications for public health.