Genetic sequences of H5N1 bird flu viruses collected from a person in Louisiana who became severely ill show signs of development of several mutations thought to affect the virus’ ability to attach to cells in the upper airways of humans, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Thursday.

One of the mutations was also seen in a virus sample taken from a teenager in British Columbia who was in critical condition in a Vancouver hospital for weeks after contracting H5N1.

Both the Louisiana and the British Columbia cases were caused by genotype D1.1 viruses. They are the only two severe infections reported in North America in 2024.

https://www.statnews.com/2024/12/26/cdc-says-h5n1-bird-flu-sample-shows-mutations-that-may-help-the-virus-bind-to-cells-in-the-upper-airways-of-people/

 

Of course they do!