00:00The COVID pandemic was a dark time for the world, with over a million people dying in the US alone.
00:06That seems to be behind us. However, experts are now saying they're concerned about another virus
00:11that is spreading quickly, H5N1, also known as bird flu. The strain has been wreaking havoc on
00:17bird populations globally, killing tens of millions of them. However, more recently,
00:22it jumped to mammals, resulting in the deaths of 40,000 sea lions and seals, and has now jumped
00:27to cows. In the US, only three humans thus far have tested positive, but the latest showed new
00:33symptoms, suggesting that the virus is mutating. Infectious disease experts are also worried that
00:38means the ability of the virus to remain and spread within the human population could be
00:42imminent. Christopher Dye, an epidemiologist, told Business Insider, there's such a vast amount of
00:47virus at the moment, and clearly it is changing, and it is doing new and unexpected things.
00:53Adding that while this strain of avian flu has been around for decades, it has finally
00:56gotten to a point of very serious concern, especially considering that in Mexico,
01:01dozens of house mice have tested positive for H5N1, a creature believed to be a significant
01:06vector for animal-to-human virus transmission. The good news? The US is already manufacturing
01:12a candidate vaccine that could inoculate against the virus.
