Bird flu or avian influenza is continuing to spread among livestock and other mammals in the United States, raising fears that another pandemic is in our future. Last month, California declared a state of emergency due to rising cases in dairy cattle, and there have been over 65 human cases in the U.S. during this outbreak.
While cases have been largely mild, scientists like Dr. Jesse Goodman, an infectious disease physician at Georgetown University and former FDA official, warn it could evolve and become more dangerous.
“This is like some brush burning around your house,” he says. “You better pay attention because it could turn into something else.”