Concern surrounding the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 influenza virus currently circulating in dairy cows in the United States is growing. A total of 58 human cases have been reported as of ...

Unique mutations in the H5N1 strain enhance replication in human cells and cause severe disease in mice. The virus has spread from birds to mammals, including dairy cows, and infected humans, with one ...

Scientists have revealed parts of the genome that are especially vulnerable to mutations that occur very early on in development. These areas are in the initial portions of genes, where the cell tends ...

A study led by Aaron Hobbs, Ph.D., and Rachel Burge, Ph.D., at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center, reveals why a specific gene ...

A new study has raised alarm bells about the potential for the H5N1 bird flu virus to evolve into a strain sparking a human pandemic. A single mutation in the virus currently ravaging dairy farms ...

A vanishingly rare genetic glitch in a single enzyme can erase a newborn’s brain cells in a matter of weeks, leaving doctors with almost no way to intervene. Researchers have now traced that ...

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 ...

California researchers say the world may be just one genetic tweak away from human-to-human transmission of the H5N1 bird flu virus — a worrisome mutation that could open the door to widespread human ...

Researchers have discovered new regions of the human genome particularly vulnerable to mutations. These altered stretches of DNA can be passed down to future generations and are important for how we ...