Bird Flu News and Research

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Antibody cocktail could change the way the world fights influenza

An unusual therapy developed at The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) could change the way the world fights influenza, one of the deadliest infectious diseases.

11 Sep 2025

Generative AI model scans emergency notes to identify high-risk avian influenza exposures

Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine developed a new and highly effective application of an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to quickly scan notes in electronic medical records and identify high-risk patients who may have been infected with H5N1 avian influenza or "bird flu", according to new findings published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.

25 Aug 2025

Early infection traits help predict future disease spread

When a disease-causing virus or other organism is transmitted from one species to another, most of the time the infection sputters and dies out.

21 Aug 2025

How shifting landscapes drive new bird flu threats across Asia

Landscape changes across the East Asian–Australasian Flyway have reshaped waterfowl migration, increasing interactions with poultry. This shift amplified cross-species viral transmission and raised the risk of avian influenza virus reassortment and diversification.

20 Aug 2025

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Kennedy cancels vaccine funding

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s announcement that the federal government will cancel nearly $500 million in mRNA research funding is unnerving not only for those who develop vaccines, but also for public health experts who see the technology behind the first covid-19 shots as the nation's best hope to combat a future pandemic.

7 Aug 2025

Study finds past H1N1 exposure shields animals from deadly H5N1

Preexisting immunity to the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus provided near-complete protection against severe H5N1 disease and transmission in ferrets, even after high-dose exposure. In contrast, H3N2 immunity alone offered only partial, inconsistent protection.

28 Jul 2025

Many Americans turn to AI for health answers despite accuracy warnings

Traditionally, individuals asked health questions of their primary health care provider. Confidence in that provider as a source of trustworthy health information has been consistently high in recent years and was at 90% in April, according to survey data from the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania.

14 Jul 2025

Letting bird flu run its course could spark wider pandemic

In a Policy Forum, Erin Sorrell and colleagues – a coalition of virologists, veterinarians, and health security experts – argue that the recent proposal to permit the uncontrolled spread of highly pathogenic avian influence (HPAI) among U.S. poultry to identify birds that survive infection is dangerous and unethical.

4 Jul 2025

Survey: Many adults unaware of key facts that can help prevent SIDS

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the unexpected, unexplained, sudden death of a child younger than one year old.

3 Jul 2025

Confusion persists over breast cancer screening guidelines

Mammograms can find cancer early before symptoms appear. Regular screening decreases the risk of dying from breast cancer.

3 Jul 2025

New technology brings antibiotic resistance surveillance to the field

Antibiotics are one of the greatest triumphs in the history of medical science - but these lifesaving tools have a dark side.

26 Jun 2025

KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': RFK Jr. upends vaccine policy, after promising he wouldn’t

After explicitly promising senators during his confirmation hearing that he would not interfere in scientific policy over which Americans should receive which vaccines, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. this week fired every member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the group of experts who help the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention make those evidence-based judgments.

12 Jun 2025

Survey: Most Americans cannot identify what counts as high blood pressure

Hypertension or high blood pressure, which can lead to heart attack and stroke, the two top causes of death in the United States, is one of the most widespread chronic illnesses in America, afflicting nearly half of adults.

6 Jun 2025

In axing mRNA contract, Trump delivers another blow to US biosecurity, former officials say

The Trump administration's cancellation of $766 million in contracts to develop mRNA vaccines against potential pandemic flu viruses is the latest blow to national defense, former health security officials said.

6 Jun 2025

New AI tool revolutionizes forecasting of disease outbreaks

A new AI tool to predict the spread of infectious disease outperforms existing state-of-the-art forecasting methods.

6 Jun 2025

Researchers warn of bird flu survival in raw milk

The stability of H5N1 in unpasteurized milk poses potential health risks. Study findings emphasize the need for awareness among consumers and dairy workers.

4 Jun 2025

Study: New mRNA vaccine is more scalable and adaptable to continuously evolving viruses

A new type of mRNA vaccine is more scalable and adaptable to continuously evolving viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and H5N1, according to a study by researchers at University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health and the Pennsylvania State University.

3 Jun 2025

Genomic analysis reveals how bird flu jumped from wild birds to poultry and people

Researchers identified a novel genotype (D1.1) of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 spreading among wild birds, poultry, and a human in British Columbia, Canada, during fall 2024. Genomic analysis reveals the virus arose from reassortment between Eurasian and North American strains, with implications for surveillance and control.

27 May 2025

Experts explain how H5 avian influenza adapts to infect more animals

The Gs/Gd lineage of highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza viruses—including H5N1—has rapidly evolved, spreading globally and infecting a growing range of birds, mammals, and occasionally humans. This review highlights the expanding risks, the challenges of cross-species transmission, and urgent needs for surveillance, vaccination, and a unified One Health response.

25 May 2025

How the Trump administration aims to slash health care spending

Health care has proved a vulnerable target for the firehose of cuts and policy changes President Donald Trump ordered in the name of reducing waste and improving efficiency.

20 May 2025