The CDC is closely watching potential signs that bird flu could become more transmissible among humans.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) is monitoring potential 'red flags' related to bird flu and its possible evolution into a pandemic. According to a report, the CDC is observing 66 confirmed human cases of bird flu in the U.S. The agency is currently on holiday break and will resume updates on human cases on January 3rd. The CDC is particularly concerned about outbreaks spreading from person to person and evidence of viral mutations.
A spokesperson for the CDC told Newsweek, 'Identifying epidemiologically linked clusters of influenza A(H5N1) human cases might indicate the virus is better able to spread between humans,' and 'CDC is searching for genetic changes in circulating viruses that suggest it could better transmit between humans.' Last week, the CDC announced a case in Louisiana where a hospitalized patient with severe bird flu had a mutated version of the virus. This case triggered alarm as it fell under the 'red flag' category. The CDC stated in an announcement on its website, 'The analysis identified low frequency mutations in the hemagglutinin gene of a sample sequenced from the patient, which were not found in virus sequences from poultry samples collected on the patient’s property, suggesting the changes emerged in the patient after infection.' While these mutations are rare in humans, the CDC noted that they have been reported in previous A(H5N1) cases in other countries and are often associated with severe disease. Although the CDC did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital inquiry, they previously emphasized that there has been no known transmission of the virus from the Louisiana patient to anyone else
BIRD FLU CDC HUMAN CASES MUTATIONS PANDEMIC
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