Apoorva Mandavilli

Yeah, so H5N1 is a bird flu virus, meaning it is really best adapted to infect birds. And usually, you know, you might expect to see it occasionally in a different kind of animal, just if an animal was in very close contact with an infected bird. But what we've been seeing now is that there are all kinds of animals, including mammals, that seem to be really susceptible to this virus.

Yeah, so H5N1 is a bird flu virus, meaning it is really best adapted to infect birds. And usually, you know, you might expect to see it occasionally in a different kind of animal, just if an animal was in very close contact with an infected bird. But what we've been seeing now is that there are all kinds of animals, including mammals, that seem to be really susceptible to this virus.

The range of animal species, we've gone from cats and deer and bears and sea mammals and raccoons and all of these animal species. And we've not really seen a virus gain that many new host species in such a short time. That's been really alarming to watch.

The range of animal species, we've gone from cats and deer and bears and sea mammals and raccoons and all of these animal species. And we've not really seen a virus gain that many new host species in such a short time. That's been really alarming to watch.

According to a lot of the experts that I've talked to, they're like, we've never seen anything like this, where a virus just kind of storms through animal populations. But also then to include people in that, we've seen a lot of people get infected. So there's something about this virus that makes it quite promiscuous, if you will. And how bad is it? Like how many animals is this actually killing?

According to a lot of the experts that I've talked to, they're like, we've never seen anything like this, where a virus just kind of storms through animal populations. But also then to include people in that, we've seen a lot of people get infected. So there's something about this virus that makes it quite promiscuous, if you will. And how bad is it? Like how many animals is this actually killing?

Far too many. I mean, I have a Google alert for bird flu and every morning I see emails about, you know, this kind of new bird, these cranes, these poultry flocks in Long Island, these big cats in the zoo. I mean, every day there's news of more and more dead birds and animals that are affected. And often when it is a matter of a poultry flock, you have just a few birds that are affected.

Far too many. I mean, I have a Google alert for bird flu and every morning I see emails about, you know, this kind of new bird, these cranes, these poultry flocks in Long Island, these big cats in the zoo. I mean, every day there's news of more and more dead birds and animals that are affected. And often when it is a matter of a poultry flock, you have just a few birds that are affected.

That means you might have to get rid of tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands of birds. So the scale of destruction is just staggering.

That means you might have to get rid of tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands of birds. So the scale of destruction is just staggering.

Unfortunately, that's, yeah, directly related. I mean, we are seeing poultry flocks being killed at a really high rate because of infections. And so that's directly affecting egg supply. And we are going to see shortages of eggs. We are going to see those egg prices continuing to go up because we're still very much in the high circulation season for this virus. It's really everywhere right now.

Unfortunately, that's, yeah, directly related. I mean, we are seeing poultry flocks being killed at a really high rate because of infections. And so that's directly affecting egg supply. And we are going to see shortages of eggs. We are going to see those egg prices continuing to go up because we're still very much in the high circulation season for this virus. It's really everywhere right now.

And so we're going to see more birds being affected and therefore fewer eggs.

And so we're going to see more birds being affected and therefore fewer eggs.

Yeah, that's really the number one thing that's made a lot of the scientists I talk to worry. So... We did not even really know that cattle were susceptible to this kind of influenza. That was number one, already a big surprise. And then we started to hear about how the virus was affecting the cattle. And it was doing these bizarre things.

Yeah, that's really the number one thing that's made a lot of the scientists I talk to worry. So... We did not even really know that cattle were susceptible to this kind of influenza. That was number one, already a big surprise. And then we started to hear about how the virus was affecting the cattle. And it was doing these bizarre things.

Like, first of all, there was a lot of virus in the milk of the cows. And the milk was turning this very thick, viscous, yellow texture that, you know, some of the veterinarians I talked to said they'd never seen anything like that before. So that was all a big surprise. And then it seemed like that's also how the virus was getting around, like between herds, is through milking machines.

Like, first of all, there was a lot of virus in the milk of the cows. And the milk was turning this very thick, viscous, yellow texture that, you know, some of the veterinarians I talked to said they'd never seen anything like that before. So that was all a big surprise. And then it seemed like that's also how the virus was getting around, like between herds, is through milking machines.

Because there was so much virus in the milk that, you know, it would contaminate the milking machines. And if they ended up using that for another herd or... you know, was transported through machines in some way or somebody's clothing, things like that. It was affecting other herds. And so it spread through the country that way.

Because there was so much virus in the milk that, you know, it would contaminate the milking machines. And if they ended up using that for another herd or... you know, was transported through machines in some way or somebody's clothing, things like that. It was affecting other herds. And so it spread through the country that way.