Will bird flu spark a human pandemic? Scientists say the risk is rising Nature - H5N1 is adapting to new mammalian hosts, raising the possibility of the virus spreading between humans. Kozlov, Max nature

Although many of the infections have been mild, emerging data indicate that variants of the avian influenza virus H5N1 that are spreading in North America can cause severe disease and death, especially when passed directly to humans from birds. The virus is also adapting to new hosts — cows and other mammals — raising the risk that it could spark a human pandemic.

What is H5N9? US reports first bird flu strain outbreak in poultry U.S. authorities also identified the more common H5N1 strain on the same farm in Merced County, California. Newsweek

he United States has reported its first outbreak of H5N9 bird flu on a duck farm in California, according to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) on Monday.

H5N9 is a rare subtype of the influenza A virus that can cause highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), also known as bird flu. It's a reassortment strain that originated from the H5N1, H7N9, and H9N2 subtypes.

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