In early December 2024, a group of researchers published an article in the journal Science, entitled “A single mutation in bovine influenza H5N1 hemagglutinin switches specificity to human receptors”.

Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. Chickens are pictured at a poultry farm in Mexico on June 6, 2024. Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. At least 58 people in the U.S. have been infected by the H5N1 ...

Scientists have discovered that H5N1, the strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus currently spreading in U.S. dairy cows, only needs a single mutation to readily latch on to human cells ...

Avian influenza viruses typically require several mutations to adapt and spread among humans, but what happens when just one change can increase the risk of becoming a pandemic virus? A recent study ...

Helen Branswell covers issues broadly related to infectious diseases, including outbreaks, preparedness, research, and vaccine development. Follow her on Mastodon and Bluesky. You can reach Helen on ...

The patient in Louisiana who was hospitalized with severe bird flu illness was found to have a mutated version of the virus, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced last ...

H5N1 bird flu samples collected from a severely ill patient in Louisiana show signs of mutations that may make the virus more transmissible to humans, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ...

BENGALURU: Indian Institute of Science (IISc) researchers have found that the H5N1 (bird flu) virus can be a potential threat to humans due to specific mutations, suggesting enhanced and proactive ...

Receptor binding site of the A/Texas/37/2024 hemagglutinin Leu226 mutant (yellow) in complex with the human receptor analog LSTc (cyan). LA JOLLA, CA—Avian influenza viruses typically require several ...