NZ must be prepared for bird flu, experts say, as Australia confirms first human case

from RNZ (H/T T)

New Zealand must be prepared for the bird flu strain causing concern overseas, public health experts say, as Australia confirms its first human case.

The H5N1 strain of bird flu has been spreading among wild birds and poultry globally for more than two years.

But scientists are on alert for changes in H5N1 which could signal the virus is adapting to spread easily among humans amid reports of human cases and spread among cattle in the US too.

"The H5N1 virus is constantly evolving and could potentially become easily transmissible from person to person," the World Health Organization's (WHO) website states.

"If this occurs, it could be the start of a new influenza pandemic, as was the case with the 1918 and 2009 H1N1 pandemics."...

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