STAT

Single mutation in H5N1 bird flu virus may make it more infectious to humans, study finds

Helen Branswell covers issues broadly related to infectious diseases, including outbreaks, preparedness, research, and vaccine development. Follow her on Mastodon and Bluesky. You can reach Helen on ...
CNN

Bird flu virus isolated from hospitalized Canadian teen shows signs of human adaptation

The avian flu virus isolated from a hospitalized teenager in Vancouver has mutations in key areas that could help the virus spread more easily in humans, scientists say. There is no indication that ...
Los Angeles Times

Just one mutation can make H5N1 bird flu a threat to humans, California researchers say

California researchers say the world may be just one genetic tweak away from human-to-human transmission of the H5N1 bird flu virus — a worrisome mutation that could open the door to widespread human ...
Yahoo

Recreating a Rare Mutation Could Grant Almost Universal Virus Immunity For Days

A rare genetic mutation appears to make people basically invulnerable to viruses – and it could potentially be harnessed as a therapy. Researchers have now shown this surprising viral protection can ...
Journalism in the Americas

Coronavirus Mutation May Have Made It More Contagious

The virus that causes COVID-19 is accumulating genetic mutations, one of which may have made it more contagious. The number of virus strains present in each zip code in Houston during the second wave ...
Yahoo

No, we’re not ‘one mutation away’ from an H5N1 bird flu pandemic – here are the facts

In early December 2024, a group of researchers published an article in the journal Science, entitled “A single mutation in bovine influenza H5N1 hemagglutinin switches specificity to human receptors”.
NBC New York

In severe bird flu cases, the virus can mutate as it lingers in the body

A 13-year-old girl in British Columbia who was hospitalized with bird flu for several weeks late last year harbored a mutated version of the virus, according to a report published this week in the New ...
News Medical

Single mutation in (HPAI) H5N1 influenza virus could increase human transmission risk

A single modification in the protein found on the surface of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 influenza virus currently circulating in U.S. dairy cows could allow for easier ...
STAT

H5N1 bird flu virus in Canadian teenager displays mutations demonstrating virus’ risk

Helen Branswell covers issues broadly related to infectious diseases, including outbreaks, preparedness, research, and vaccine development. Follow her on Mastodon and Bluesky. You can reach Helen on ...
Fred Hutch

Unmasking Lassa virus glycoprotein: Mutations that enable antibody escape

This month’s story comes from the Bloom lab using their signature deep mutational scanning technique to identify mutations in the surface protein of Lassa virus -called glycoprotein- that escape ...
Scientific American

Concerning Bird Flu Virus Mutations Found in Severely Ill Patient

Editor’s Note (1/6/25): The Louisiana Department of Health has announced that the patient in the state who had been hospitalized with severe H5N1 avian influenza has died. The individual had ...