Just one mutation can make H5N1 bird flu a threat to humans, California researchers say

In a startling revelation, a recent study suggests that the H5N1 bird flu virus may require just a single mutation of the hemagglutinin protein to potentially transmit between humans, marking a significant deviation from previous beliefs that multiple mutations would be necessary. This discovery not only heightens concerns amidst increasing H5N1 outbreaks in California's dairy cows but also suggests that humans may soon be vulnerable to a pathogen that has primarily affected birds and cows until now.

James Paulson, co-author of the study from the Scripps Research Institute, expressed astonishment at their findings, stating that this one mutation 'satisfies a requirement for transmission.' This suggests that the threshold for the H5N1 virus to adapt to human hosts may indeed be much lower than health officials have believed, triggering alarms within the scientific community regarding the virus's potential to evolve rapidly.

Richard Webby, a noted influenza researcher, commented on the implications of the study, saying, 'This will likely cause a stir.' He reflects a broader concern among experts regarding the potential for the H5N1 virus to mutate into a more transmissible form, emphasizing that prevailing assumptions may have underestimated the ease with which the virus could adapt and pose a threat to human health.

Read at Los Angeles Times