CDC Says Bird Flu Strain Found In Texas Killed Ferrets Used To Mimic Disease In Humans

Reuters (6/7, Lapid) reported the H5N1 avian flu virus strain that infected a Texas dairy farm worker in March “was lethal to ferrets in experiments designed to mimic the disease in humans, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on Friday.” The strain, found in Texas, “spread easily among healthy ferrets when they were placed in direct contact with infected ferrets, the researchers found.” However, the virus “was less efficient than other influenza strains at spreading by respiratory droplets.”