<div class="css-129jqss en4o1560"><section class="css-u7urgs ez8v1gi0"><div class="css-b4a1pi e1u9wqfn0"><span class="css-x8vgju e6e0kfy0"><a href="/science-and-technology/" data-analytics="sidebar:section"><span>Science and technology</span></a></span><span class="css-rjcumh e1vi1cqp0"> | Avian flu</span></div><h1 class="css-1p83fk8 e1r8fcie0">A second human case of bird flu in America is raising alarm</h1><h2 class="css-1ms10sa eg03uz0">How close is the H5N1 outbreak to becoming the next pandemic?</h2></section></div><div class="css-vpmedt en4o1560"><section class="css-1ugvd2u e18wk22u0"></section></div><div class="css-129jqss en4o1560"><div class="css-9ij950 e1rprpb40"><div class="css-f1to7x e1x31cqm0"><div class="css-jwv1ak ejfltsf0"><div class="css-w0h03k eygoqsu0"><div><time datetime="2024-05-24T19:35:04.486Z" class="css-1c8ktq7 e4cw3vv0"> May 24th 2024</time></div><div><div class="css-1902i5q eygoqsu0"></div></div></div></div></div><section data-body-id="cp2" class="css-k2wbwk ed4x7ae1"><div class="css-1a2ik1p ed4x7ae2"><p data-component="paragraph" class="css-1f0x4sl e1tt35bk0"><span data-caps="initial">O</span><small>n May 22nd</small> America’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed a new human infection with the <small>H</small>5 avian influenza virus, a bug with pandemic potential that has recently spread rapidly among dairy cows in America. This is the second identified human case linked to the cow outbreak. Both are farm workers who probably got infected through contact with infected animals and had only mild symptoms. Although there is no evidence yet of human-to-human transmission, America’s public health authorities are on high alert. Half of the national pandemic stockpile of <small>H</small>5<small>N</small>1 vaccine has been made ready to deploy.</p><p data-component="paragraph" class="css-1f0x4sl e1tt35bk0">Influenza viruses infect many species and, every now and then, a virus will cross over and infect a species that is not its speciality. When that happens, it could be highly lethal for the new host species. <small>H</small>5<small>N</small>1, an avian influenza virus that has now crossed over into numerous bird and some mammalian species, is one of those with pandemic potential because there is no immunity to it in humans. In the nearly three decades since <small>H</small>5<small>N</small>1 was first detected in geese in China, there have been around 900 known human infections worldwide, usually from contact with infected poultry or other birds. Nearly half of these were fatal. Still, mild or asymptomatic infections would have gone undetected, making the fatality rate lower.</p></div></section><div class="css-dv5w6c e1tda7ck0"><div class="css-19gx9y0 ejfltsf0"><div class="css-15sn8g1 eygoqsu0"><div><div class="css-9mn5vp eygoqsu0"></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>

<div class="css-mqgbir ea9fiz30"><div class="css-u2fvsz ei67dsy1"><div class="css-1gljmzf e188esf00"><div class="css-pdqis7 en4o1560"><div class="css-1b409a9 eis2tu50"><div class="css-1v8gmu2 e1jjvxhk0"><figure class="css-1njzmap e1197rjj0"><img theme="[object Object]" alt="" loading="lazy" width="100%" height="auto" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" style="color:transparent" sizes="(min-width: 1440px) 700px, (min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 960px) 66vw, 95vw" srcset="https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=256,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240525_STP001.jpg 256w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=360,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240525_STP001.jpg 360w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=384,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240525_STP001.jpg 384w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=480,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240525_STP001.jpg 480w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=600,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240525_STP001.jpg 600w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=834,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240525_STP001.jpg 834w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=960,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240525_STP001.jpg 960w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1096,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240525_STP001.jpg 1096w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1280,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240525_STP001.jpg 1280w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240525_STP001.jpg 1424w" src="https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240525_STP001.jpg"></figure></div><div class="css-0 e1ik1iw00"><h3 class="css-107bvwz e7j57mt0"><a href="/science-and-technology/2024/05/22/the-airfish-is-a-fast-ferry-that-will-fly-above-the-waves" data-analytics="more_from:headline_1">The AirFish is a fast ferry that will fly above the waves</a></h3><p class="css-llqkfq e7x1xmz0">It takes inspiration from the “Caspian Sea Monster”</p></div></div></div><div class="css-12zrjtn en4o1560"><div class="css-wb96fl eis2tu50"><div class="css-1px0skd e1jjvxhk0"><figure class="css-1njzmap e1197rjj0"><img theme="[object Object]" alt="" loading="lazy" width="100%" height="auto" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" style="color:transparent" sizes="(min-width: 1440px) 700px, (min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 960px) 66vw, 95vw" srcset="https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=256,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240525_STP002.jpg 256w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=360,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240525_STP002.jpg 360w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=384,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240525_STP002.jpg 384w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=480,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240525_STP002.jpg 480w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=600,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240525_STP002.jpg 600w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=834,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240525_STP002.jpg 834w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=960,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240525_STP002.jpg 960w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1096,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240525_STP002.jpg 1096w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1280,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240525_STP002.jpg 1280w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240525_STP002.jpg 1424w" src="https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240525_STP002.jpg"></figure></div><div class="css-0 e1ik1iw00"><h3 class="css-1jzypbl e7j57mt0"><a href="/science-and-technology/2024/05/21/a-new-age-of-sail-begins" data-analytics="more_from:headline_2">A new age of sail begins</a></h3><p class="css-llqkfq e7x1xmz0">By harnessing wind power, high-tech sails can help cut marine pollution</p></div></div><hr class="css-16c9eiw e188esf01"><div class="css-wb96fl eis2tu50"><div class="css-1px0skd e1jjvxhk0"><figure class="css-1njzmap e1197rjj0"><img theme="[object Object]" alt="" loading="lazy" width="100%" height="auto" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" style="color:transparent" sizes="(min-width: 1440px) 700px, (min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 960px) 66vw, 95vw" srcset="https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=256,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240525_STP003.jpg 256w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=360,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240525_STP003.jpg 360w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=384,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240525_STP003.jpg 384w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=480,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240525_STP003.jpg 480w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=600,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240525_STP003.jpg 600w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=834,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240525_STP003.jpg 834w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=960,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240525_STP003.jpg 960w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1096,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240525_STP003.jpg 1096w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1280,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240525_STP003.jpg 1280w, https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240525_STP003.jpg 1424w" src="https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/media-assets/image/20240525_STP003.jpg"></figure></div><div class="css-0 e1ik1iw00"><h3 class="css-1jzypbl e7j57mt0"><a href="/science-and-technology/2024/05/20/a-promising-non-invasive-technique-can-help-paralysed-limbs-move" data-analytics="more_from:headline_3">A promising non-invasive technique can help paralysed limbs move</a></h3><p class="css-llqkfq e7x1xmz0">All that’s needed is electricity and exercise</p></div></div></div><hr class="css-670k81 e188esf01"></div></div></div>

How close is the H5N1 outbreak to becoming the next pandemic?{ai:summary}<p>On May 22nd, a second human case of avian flu in America raises concerns about a potential pandemic. With H5N1 spreading rapidly among dairy cows, public health authorities are on high alert, preparing half of the national stockpile of vaccine.</p><p>The AirFish, inspired by the "Caspian Sea Monster", ushers in a new age of sail above the waves. High-tech sails, fueled by wind power, offer promise in cutting marine pollution. A non-invasive technique using electricity and exercise shows potential in helping to move paralyzed limbs. #science</p>