Will bird flu come to people soon? We are ready?
Outbreaks of avian influenza among dairy cows in several states, and at least one infection among a farm worker in Texas, have raised fears that the virus could be the next infectious threat to people.The influenza virus, called H5N1, is highly pathogenic, meaning it has the ability to cause severe illness and death. But while its spread among cows was unexpected, people can contract the virus only through close contact with infected animals, not each other, federal officials said.“These are actually people who are in environments where they might interact with cattle infected with this virus,” said Dr. Demeter Daskalakis, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for disease control and prevention.“The risk for most others is very low,” he a...