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CDC Warns Sample of First Severely Ill U.S. Bird Flu Patient Contains Troublesome Mutations

HeadlineDec 27, 2024

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports a sample from the first U.S. patient to suffer a severe case of bird flu shows mutations that could help the virus bind to cells in the upper airways of people. The mutations raise the risk the virus could further evolve to spread from person to person, triggering a pandemic. The sample came from a 65-year-old Louisiana resident who suffered from severe respiratory illness after contracting bird flu from an infected backyard flock. Meanwhile, bird flu has killed 20 big cats, including four cougars and a half-Bengal tiger, at an animal sanctuary in Shelton, Washington. This comes after Northwest Naturals recalled bags of cat food containing turkey after it tested positive for virulent bird flu. The Oregon Department of Agriculture linked the cat food to the death of at least one house cat.

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