Bird Flu Is Quietly Getting Scarier

A 14th case of the avian influenza H5, commonly known as bird flu, has been identified in the US. Unlike the previous 13 cases, which were mild and linked to infected birds or livestock, the new case, in Missouri, hasn’t been traced to a sickened farm animal. This is raising concerns about potential human-to-human transmission and pandemic risk, although the CDC asserts the danger to the public remains low. The H5N1 bird flu strain has reportedly been circulating in US dairy herds and has resulted in the deaths of tens of millions of birds.