Data Report

H5N1 bird flu has been found in a pig in Oregon, USDA reports

Bird flu has been found in a pig for the first time in the U.S. OCTOBER 30, 2024


Summary-
"finding bird flu in a pig raises worries that the virus may be hitting a stepping stone to becoming a bigger threat to people, said Jennifer Nuzzo, a Brown University pandemic researcher.

Pigs can be infected with multiple types of flu, and the animals can play a role in making bird viruses better adapted to humans, she explained. The 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic had swine origins, Nuzzo noted."

Link:
https://www.npr.org/2024/10/30/nx-s1-5172615/bird-flu-pig-oregon-first-infection-h5n1



(credit goes to YouTube commentator @Rabbitt-d6y at "Tuesday's Virus update" for first finding this news)

A very unfortunate development but also not unexpected given society's lax attitude with the recent cattle infections.

I have listened to virologists speak of such a possible scenario and their assessment was that, should a pig become infected with H5N1, the likelihood of that virus entering society goes from "if" to "when."

Let us hope that nothing significant comes from this development.