This year, herds across the U.S. were infected with avian influenza.
Suzanne Kreiter/Boston Globe via Getty Images
A highly contagious type of avian influenza began circulating among dairy cows across the United States earlier this year, providing one of the best opportunities ever for the pathogen to evolve and become more susceptible to infecting people.
Infectious disease experts have been concerned about a virus called H5N1 for decades. Of the more than 900 confirmed cases worldwide since 2003, about half died As a result.
Article modified on December 11, 2024
This article has been modified to correct the recovery status of people with known infectious diseases.
Source: www.newscientist.com
