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Bird flu may be adapting to become more infectious to humans

Three people in North America without known animal exposures have tested positive for the bird flu virus H5N1, and samples from two of them suggest the virus is adapting to humans

By Grace Wade

27 November 2024

Bird flu has been spreading in wild animals for years but it is now adapting to humans

Vuk Valcic//SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

The threat of the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus adapting to humans has been inching closer towards becoming a reality all year, and we may be nearing an inflection point. Three H5N1 cases in humans have happened in the very scenarios that public health officials are concerned could lead to a pandemic in people.

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