A study in Nature Microbiology revealed that a new H5N1 bird flu strain can spread through the air more easily than earlier variants. This strain, found in a Texas dairy worker, polecat, and mink, showed mutations (PB2-E627K and PB2 T271A) that enabled airborne transmission between ferrets. Researchers from Erasmus University warned about the risks to farm workers, other mammals, and possible milk contamination. They emphasized the need to contain the outbreak and continue studying its spread and adaptation in mammals.
