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UK prepares five million vaccine doses in case of bird flu pandemic | UK News
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More than five million doses of a vaccine are being prepared in the UK to combat any potential bird flu pandemic. The jab – the human H5 influenza vaccine – is only intended for use if a strand of the virus known as H5N1 spreads among humans. There is no evidence at this stage of…
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Bird flu may be ‘evolving under the radar’, scientists say | Science & Tech News
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Bird flu could be “evolving under the radar” because of failures to monitor and control the spread of the virus, a leading pandemic scientist has warned. Dr Thomas Peacock, a specialist in animal-to-human spread of viruses at The Pirbright Institute, said H5N1 could be transmitting undetected in the US because of “months of missing data”…
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Bird flu spread to cows takes ‘dangerous’ step towards infecting humans through respiration, scientists warn | Science & Tech News
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The cow flu virus that has spread through US dairy herds may have taken a “dangerous” step towards being able to infect humans through respiratory infections, scientists have warned. The H5N1 virus, more commonly found in birds, has so far been confirmed in cattle on more than 100 farms in 12 states, with inactivated fragments…
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Bird flu: ‘Strong evidence’ suggests virus has passed from mammals to humans for first time | Science & Tech News
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Scientists fear bird flu has spread from mammals to humans for the first time, marking another step in the evolution of the deadly virus. New analysis concludes there is “strong evidence” that a Texas farm worker who tested positive for the H5N1 virus caught it from sick dairy cattle. Although there have been other people…
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UK cows not being tested for bird flu despite outbreak in US | UK News
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Cows in the UK are not being tested for bird flu, despite the outbreak sweeping through American dairy herds, Sky News has been told. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said reports of the H5N1 virus in UK birds and poultry are currently so low that it does not consider cattle to…
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Headless, dog-sized robot to patrol Alaska airport to prevent bird strikes | Science & Tech News
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A headless robot about the size of a labrador will be camouflaged as a coyote to ward off migratory birds and other wildlife at Alaska’s second largest airport. The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities said it will be based at the Fairbanks airport to “enhance and augment safety and operations”. Images have been…
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Highly infectious form of bird flu confirmed for first time in Antarctic seals | Science & Tech News
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A highly infectious form of bird flu has been confirmed for the first time in Antarctic seals, threatening one of the most fragile ecosystems on the planet. Scientists working for the UK’s Animal Plant Health Agency (APHA) detected the variant of the H5N1 virus in samples taken from dead elephant and fur seals on the…
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Scientists make VR goggles for mice so they can feel what it is like to be attacked by a bird | Science & Tech News
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Researchers have developed VR goggles for laboratory mice to simulate a life of freedom – and let them feel what it’s like to be hunted by a bird. No, it’s not 1 April – these compact virtual reality specs really have been custom-built to perfectly fit a mouse. Dubbed Miniature Rodent Stereo Illumination VR (iMRSIV),…
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Scientists use gene editing to create chickens resistant to bird flu | Science & Tech News
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Scientists have used genetic “scissors” to create chickens able to resist being infected with bird flu. The breakthrough suggests flocks could be protected from the strain of the disease that has spread rapidly around the world in wild birds. More than eight million poultry have died or been culled as a result of outbreaks in…
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Chilean man’s bird flu infection has ‘concerning’ mutations | World News
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A man in Chile is infected with bird flu that has “concerning” mutations, US health officials have said. The mutations may have occurred after the 53-year-old, who is in hospital, became sick. But there is no evidence the mutated virus has spread to other people, mixed with other flu viruses, or developed resistance to current…