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Bird flu virus that infected a person in Missouri had a rare mutation

Genetic analysis of a bird flu virus detected in a person in Missouri who didn’t previously have contact with animals offers more details on the case, but experts say there isn’t substantial evidence to suggest human-to-human transmission is happening

By Grace Wade

18 September 2024

A transmission electron micrograph of an H5N1 virus

Phanie – Sipa Press / Alamy Stock Photo

A bird flu virus that infected a person in Missouri who didn’t have any known animal exposures had two mutations not seen in previous human cases. So far, there is little reason to believe these changes have improved the virus’s ability to spread among people.

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How the US is preparing for a potential bird flu pandemic

Since March, the bird flu virus known as H5N1 has been circulating amongst dairy cows in 14 US states. The virus, which has killed…

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