Bird flu overlapping flu season may make H5N1 more dangerous

It’s been nearly eight months since bird flu was first detected in US dairy herds, and cases in both cows and humans continue to pile up.

The slow burn of infections through our nation’s livestock, a new vehicle for the virus, has never been good for public health. That creates more chances for the H5N1 virus to change in ways that put people at risk. But the ongoing spread among dairy cattle — and to a limited number of farm workers — is becoming more worrisome as we head into the winter flu season.