Experiments suggests H9N2 has adapted to human cells, but cases of person-to-person transmission haven’t been reported yet

A bird flu virus that has often been ignored because it mostly causes minor disease in birds has the potential to cause a human pandemic, says a team that has tracked how the H9N2 virus has become better adapted to infect people.

"In principle, the H5N1 virus has everything it takes to trigger a pandemic," says virologist Klaus Stöhr in a report. Bird flu is currently spreading in Germany. View on euronews

The sudden decimation by bird flu of the world's largest seal has sent shockwaves through the scientific community, and the ecosystems shaped by these majestic animals.

Researchers are increasingly developing antibody therapies to treat infectious diseases. Therapies are being designed to reduce the severity of infections such as bird flu, and cure chronic conditions such as HIV. Synthetic antibodies could also make vaccines for diseases such as COVID-19 more effective.

A phase 1 randomized controlled trial of an experimental intranasal vaccine against multiple H5N1 avian flu strains generated a broad immune response in US adults, researchers reported today in Nature Communications.

The risk of human-to-human spread of the H5N8 strain of bird flu appears low after it was identified for the first time worldwide in farm workers in Russia, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.

Researchers reported encouraging results from an early phase clinical trial that found an experimental intranasal vaccine triggered a broad immune response against multiple strains of H5N1 “bird flu”.

BlueWillow’s NanoVax ® W 80 5EC adjuvant, previously named NE01, is the most advanced intranasal adjuvant in development and warrants further investigation as a platform technology for advancing mucosal vaccination against a range of respiratory pathogens.

Bird flu is spreading rapidly in Europe, with the highest number of countries in at least a decade reporting early outbreaks, raising concerns about a repeat of past crises that led to the culling of tens of million birds and higher food prices.

H9N2 avian flu gains human infectivity, raises pandemic warning H9N2 shows mutations improving binding to human respiratory cells but no confirmed human-to-human spread yet

Axios Visuals Washington state has the second-highest number of recent bird flu cases in the country, with nearly 2 million cases last month. Why it matters: The H5N1 flu is continuing to evolve and spill over to other species,