A new study reveals that the bird flu virus, H5N1, has mutated to spread among elephant seals in South America, causing massive die-offs and raising concerns about potential transmission to other mammals, including humans.
Apoorva Mandavilli reports for The New York Times.
In short:
- The bird flu virus H5N1 has acquired mutations enabling mammal-to-mammal transmission among elephant seals.
- The virus caused the deaths of over 30,000 sea mammals in South America between 2022 and 2023.
- The virus's mutations could potentially lead to easier transmission among humans.
Key quote:
“It’s a combination of facts that really present compelling evidence that there is some sort of mammal-to-mammal transmission.”
— Marcela Uhart, director of the Latin American Wildlife Health Program at UC Davis
Why this matters:
The emergence of mammal-to-mammal transmission of bird flu could herald a new phase of the outbreak, potentially affecting human health and requiring urgent monitoring and containment efforts. Read more: Cutting forests and disturbing natural habitats increases our risk of wildlife disease.
