Photo by Fusion Medical A
The bird flu virus has likely mutated within a Louisiana patient, raising concerns about its potential transmissibility to humans, according to a recent analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In December 2024, a resident of southwestern Louisiana was hospitalized with the first severe case of H5N1 bird flu in the United States. The individual, who is over 65 years old and has pre-existing health conditions, was exposed to sick and dead birds in a backyard flock. Genetic analyses of samples taken during the patient’s hospitalization revealed mutations that may enhance the virus’s ability to infect human cells. The CDC noted that these mutations were absent in samples collected from the infected birds, suggesting they likely arose as the virus adapted to its human host rather than being widely present in the environment.
Despite these alarming findings, federal health officials emphasized that there is currently no evidence of human-to-human transmission of the virus from the Louisiana patient. The CDC characterized the mutations as “concerning,” but reassured that the overall risk level associated with this outbreak remains low.
Health experts are urging continued monitoring of these mutations as they could pose future risks. The CDC’s report also indicated that viruses from the Louisiana patient are closely related to candidate viruses available for developing bird flu vaccines.
Sources:
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/27/health/bird-flu-mutations-louisiana.html
[2] https://abc7news.com/post/bird-flu-virus-louisiana-patient-shows-mutations-could-increase-transmissibility-humans-cdc-analysis-finds/15715105/
[3] https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2024-12-30/cdc-reports-potentially-troublesome-mutations-in-bird-flu-found-in-louisiana-patient
[4] https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/WC193
[5] https://spcollege.libguides.com/c.php?g=254319&p=1695316
[6] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-write-quote-research-news-story-richard-berks
[7] https://apnews.com/article/bird-flu-louisiana-mutations-cdc-a870a8d4d86d3dd95f4c0d5c7e9edee5
[8] https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/27/health/cdc-bird-flu-virus-mutations-analysis/index.html
[9] https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2024/12/27/bird-flu-mutation-united-states-louisiana/77265627007/
[10] https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5057673-cdc-bird-flu-mutations/
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