Breaking News: Avian Flu

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A University of Michigan virologist's take on the current situation

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Researchers have identified new roles for a protein long known to protect against severe flu infection – among them, raising the minimum number of viral particles needed to cause sickness.

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The sounds of barking elephant seals are again in the air along the breeding grounds of Península Valdés, Argentina—but it’s quieter. Almost exactly a year after a massive outbreak of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza killed more than 17,000 elephant seals, including about 97% of their pups, scientists estimate that only about a third of the elephant seals normally expected here returned.

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Professor Vincent Denault shows that legal decisions by Australian judges have used myths about “body language” to assess the credibility of witnesses.

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A strain of H5N1 avian influenza virus found in a Texas dairy worker who was infected this spring was able to spread among ferrets through the air, although inefficiently, and killed 100% of infected animals in studies University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers performed with the strain earlier this year.

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The LJI team uncovered important similarities between H5N1 and these common viruses, which allowed them to predict that many people already have "cross-reactive" T cells that are ready to target H5N1—should it ever mutate to cause widespread disease in humans.

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Avian influenza A(H5N1) virus, which spread to cattle and infected 14 people this year, was detected using virome sequencing in the wastewater of 10 Texas cities by researchers at UTHealth Houston and Baylor College of Medicine.

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Back to school, cooler weather, a whiff of pumpkin spice in the air. Yes, it’s flu shot time.

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University of North Carolina at Charlotte scholars have found evidence that the latest variants of H5N1 influenza — commonly known as avian or bird flu — are better at evading antibodies, including those of humans, than previous iterations of the virus.

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Word of bird flu infections is raising concerns among epidemiologists. A Penn State Health expert discusses recent developments with H5N1 and why scientists are watching it closely.

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Five dairy workers in Colorado have tested positive for the bird flu. According to the state department, all five workers are poultry workers at a farm in northeast, Colorado. ...

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A new study by a broad team of researchers at Iowa State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine helps explain why dairy cows infected by highly pathogenic avian influenza are shedding the virus in their milk. Their findings could help develop biosecurity measures aimed at slowing the spread of the illness.

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A person in Colorado tested positive for the bird flu. This is the fourth case reported in the U.S. Two other cases were reported in Michigan and in Texas. ...

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While H5N1 avian influenza virus taken from infected cow’s milk makes mice and ferrets sick when dripped into their noses, airborne transmission of the virus between ferrets — a common model for human transmission — appears to be limited.

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An air curtain shooting down from the brim of a hard hat can prevent 99.8% of aerosols from reaching a worker’s face. The technology, created by University of Michigan startup Taza Aya, potentially offers a new protection option for workers in industries where respiratory disease transmission is a concern.