H5N1, highly pathogenic avian influenza (bird flu) virus, may be more infectious to humans when transmitted from cattle than directly from birds, finds a new study.
The researchers led by Yoshihiro Kawaoka, director of the University of Tokyo, Pandemic Preparedness, Infection and Advanced Research Center, published their findings in the online edition of the British scientific journal Nature (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Pathogenicity and transmissibility of bovine H5N1 influenza virus

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Can Humans Get Bird Flu From Cows?

The team used receptors in human respiratory cells to react with both bovine-derived and avian-derived H5N1 viruses and found that the bovine-derived virus had stronger binding strength than the avian-derived virus, with the data suggesting that the former “more efficiently infects humans” than the latter, according to the media report published in Japanese daily Mainichi Shimbun.

Bird Flu in Cows: A Dangerous Outbreak

The researchers also confirmed that bovine-derived virus is highly pathogenic to mice and ferrets. When ferrets and mice were infected with bovine-derived H5N1, the virus multiplied throughout the body, including the brain and muscles, and was highly virulent, it added.

“It has been suggested that the nature of the virus may have changed. We should be concerned about human-to-human transmission as well in the future,” said Kawaoka.

How Serious is H5N1?

The H5N1 strain is characterized by its extremely high infectivity and virulence in birds. Global outbreaks began in the 2000s, causing mass deaths of chickens in many regions.

A series of cases of infection in various mammals have been found since 2020, with 28 human infections reported to the World Health Organization, but no cases of human-to-human transmission have been confirmed, Mainichi Shimbun reported.

References:

1. Pathogenicity and transmissibility of bovine H5N1 influenza virus – (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07766-6)

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