H5N1 is Increasingly Adapting to Mammals??

H5N1 is Increasingly Adapting to Mammals??
Why has H5N1 bird flu infected other mammals more readily? Humans lack one type of cell receptor in the upper respiratory tract that H5N1 viruses can use to establish an infection. Minks, for example, have two different kinds of cell receptors in their respiratory tracts, and one of these allows for easier infection with H5N1 viruses. Because of this, minks are more susceptible to infection with H5N1 viruses than people. Additionally, the infections in minks occur in the upper respiratory tract, which allows for easier transmission to other minks. In past H5N1 infections in humans these infections occurred in the lower respiratory tract.
A new strain of bird flu has been found in other mammals in the U.S., stoking fears humans could be next. Dr. Richard Webby, a faculty member in the Department of Infectious Diseases at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, joins "CBS News Mornings" to discuss the risk.
The largest recorded outbreak of bird flu is wreaking havoc worldwide. The spread has been largely limited to birds in the last two years. But a new strain of H5N1 has recently started taking down mammals. With the COVID-19 pandemic still front and centre, this viral outbreak is raising fears of another zoonotic disease, jumping to humans from animals.
A highly contagious avian flu is infecting birds all over the globe. In the U.S., farmers have lost, or had to kill, over 58 million birds to try and prevent the spread of the virus. The H5N1 strain hasn’t caused any serious threat to humans, but outbreaks in some mammals raised concerns about the potential to spread further. Influenza researcher Scott Hensley joined William Brangham to discuss.