Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. Chickens are pictured at a poultry farm in Mexico on June 6, 2024. Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. At least 58 people in the U.S. have been infected by the H5N1 ...

Avian influenza viruses typically require several mutations to adapt and spread among humans, but what happens when just one change can increase the risk of becoming a pandemic virus? A recent study ...

The patient in Louisiana who was hospitalized with severe bird flu illness was found to have a mutated version of the virus, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced last ...

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 ...

Viruses closely related to the deadly MERS coronavirus are lurking in bats and one group, known as HKU5, may be just one mutation away from making the jump to humans. A new study reveals how these ...

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 ...

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 ...

Chinese researchers have identified a key mutation in the Ebola virus that may explain why one of the deadliest outbreaks in recent history spread so widely and persisted for so long. Their findings ...

Hopefully, you have already received your seasonal flu vaccine this year. These shots are highly effective at preventing illness, ultimately lowering the spread of the virus throughout the population.

Receptor binding site of the A/Texas/37/2024 hemagglutinin Leu226 mutant (yellow) in complex with the human receptor analog LSTc (cyan). LA JOLLA, CA—Avian influenza viruses typically require several ...