Will bird flu spark a human pandemic? Scientists say the risk is rising Nature - H5N1 is adapting to new mammalian hosts, raising the possibility of the virus spreading between humans. Kozlov, Max nature

Although many of the infections have been mild, emerging data indicate that variants of the avian influenza virus H5N1 that are spreading in North America can cause severe disease and death, especially when passed directly to humans from birds. The virus is also adapting to new hosts — cows and other mammals — raising the risk that it could spark a human pandemic.

US urged to do more to fight bird flu after first death The first human death from bird flu in the United States has intensified calls for the government to ramp up efforts to stave off the threat of another pandemic—particularly ahead of Donald Trump's ... Science X Medical Xpress

...Health experts around the world have for months been urging US authorities to increase surveillance and share more information about its bird flu outbreak after the virus started spreading among dairy cows for the first time. ...

Tom Peacock, a virologist at the Imperial College London, said he thought "the biggest error the US has made is its slow and weak response to the cattle outbreak"

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