Why a Teenager’s Bird-Flu Infection is Ringing Alarm Bells for Scientists

In a patient in Canada, the H5N1 strain of avian influenza is showing signs of adaptation to human hosts, bearing mutations that might improve its ability to infect the human airway. However, there is no evidence that it can transmit from person to person yet. It’s a worrying development but it doesn’t mean that a new pandemic is imminent, said Scott Hensley, PhD, a professor of Microbiology.