Pandemic Potential: New Research Shows H5N1 Bird Flu Can Transmit Through Air
Researchers at Penn State have demonstrated the airborne transmission of a new H5N1 virus strain in ferrets, marking a potential evolution of the virus to better infect mammals and possibly humans. The study, which reconstructed the virus from genetic sequences, emphasizes the importance of surveillance for mutations that could increase virulence and transmission. Credit: SciTechDaily.com
New findings show that a strain of the H5N1 influenza virus has developed only a minimal capacity for airborne transmission.
In March, the United States reported its first detection of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in dairy cattle, with outbreaks spreading to nine states by May. The transmission method among cattle remains unclear. However, a study published in DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48475-y
This research was conducted in Penn State’s Eva J. Pell Advanced Biological Laboratory, a high-containment biosafety level 3 enhanced laboratory that is regularly inspected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the United States Department of Agriculture.
Other Penn State authors of the paper include Katherine Restori, assistant research professor in veterinary and biomedical sciences, as well as Kayla Septer, Cassandra Field and Devanshi Patel, all graduate students in veterinary and biomedical sciences. David VanInsberghe, postdoctoral fellow; Vedhika Raghunathan, graduate student; and Anice Lowen, professor of microbiology and immunology, all at Emory University, also are authors of the paper.
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