Summary
Ohio confirmed its first bird flu hospitalization, bringing the U.S. total to four. The patient, a farmer exposed to sick poultry, has been released.
Wyoming also reported a recent hospitalization, but details remain scarce.
Health officials are investigating which H5N1 strain caused these cases, as two variants—B3.13 and D1.1—continue spreading.
B3.13 is linked to dairy herd infections, while D1.1, which caused the first U.S. fatality, is increasingly infecting poultry.
More infections mean more chances to mutate into being able to spread human-human. I would expect a greater chance from the strain that’s already spreading mammal to mammal, but human infections with any strain have a chance.
We have the technology and logistical infrastructure to stop this, but the incentive structure in this country is completely backwards for protecting health and safety. And that’s very unlikely to chance any time soon. Get your masks ready.
