Emerging in Alaska, dominant H5N1 strain spread continent-wide through migratory birds

An international group of scientists mapped the spread of the current dominant strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus through North American bird populations in 2024. Led by scientists from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the collaboration provides a comprehensive view of this novel flu spreading through birds in North America. The investigators collected and sequenced samples from birds across the continent, letting them map the virus's spread. They also compared the virus from birds to those causing human infections, showing that current human vaccine stockpiles will likely work well against both. Closer evaluation of the viruses led the researchers to classify them as low risk for human-to-human spread in their current form. The study was published today in Nature Medicine.