Since 2021, a subtype of the bird flu virus called H5N1 has infected and killed a record number of both domestic and wild birds across the globe. They collected data on the number and location of confirmed bird flu cases worldwide from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Organisation for Animal Health. They also obtained genetic information on bird flu viruses using two public databases. Careful vigilance is critical for understanding which bird flu viruses are circulating and how they are evolving or migrating, says Seema Lakdawala at Emory University in Georgia. This information can guide vaccine development and efforts to curb bird flu transmission.
