Can we prevent a bird flu pandemic in humans?

Popular Science Here’s how experts say we should be mitigating the risk of H5N1 human outbreaks. highly pathogenic subtype of avian influenza (or bird flu), known as H5N1 is spreading among animals worldwide. For the past couple of decades, global health agencies have kept tabs on the virus, which is most well known for decimating poultry flocks and infecting wild birds, while mammalian and human cases have been rare.  Yet the current spate of outbreaks, first detected in Europe in Fall 2020, has drawn particular concern and attention. Unlike in prior outbreaks, mammalian infections have become significantly more common, and many mammal species including pet cats, seals, foxes, mice, skunks, bobcats, and even a bottlenose dolphin have been falling ill and testing positive for the flu. Also unlike in past outbreaks, some mammals seem to be spreading the virus among themselves, indicating that H5N1 has mutated to be more easily transmissible beyond birds.