The strain of bird flu that infected a person in Texas has mutated to spread more easily, officials say — amid growing alarm the disease could spread to more people.
The CDC said tests on the H5N1 sample showed it had a mutation that was ‘known to be associated with viral adaptation to mammalian hosts’ – but insisted the mutations were minor and the overall risk to the public was low.
This mutation was not detected in cattle or in wild birds, with officials saying it ‘may have been acquired in the patient during the development of the [eye infection]’.
Meanwhile, three pet cats have died from bird flu after catching the disease on dairy farms in Texas, according to reports — as fears are raised that infected animals living near humans could spread the disease to people.
And the largest egg producer in the US has revealed bird flu has been detected in its flock, with nearly 2million chickens now set to be culled. There is growing concern that the outbreak on farms could cause supply chain issues or drive up the price of eggs and dairy products.
It comes amid concerns that H5N1 — which has already triggered a pandemic in the animal world — could soon do the same in humans. The EU’s Food Safety Agency (EFSA) warned Wednesday that a large-scale bird flu pandemic could be triggered if the virus becomes transmissible between people.
END TIMES PROPHECY WATCH 
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