Blythe Terrell

Right, right, yeah. We normally get it directly from a bird.

And some people in the U.S. do start getting it from birds, too. So overall, in the past couple years, we've seen about 70 known cases of this bird flu in the U.S., of this H5N1 baby.

And some people in the U.S. do start getting it from birds, too. So overall, in the past couple years, we've seen about 70 known cases of this bird flu in the U.S., of this H5N1 baby.

Yeah. So actually, this is what's pretty surprising. So despite all the scary headlines, every time someone gets bird flu, generally speaking, people who have gotten this in the U.S. are not getting that sick. Oh. We are mostly seeing people who have flu-y symptoms, your typical stuff, fatigue, respiratory issues.

Yeah. So actually, this is what's pretty surprising. So despite all the scary headlines, every time someone gets bird flu, generally speaking, people who have gotten this in the U.S. are not getting that sick. Oh. We are mostly seeing people who have flu-y symptoms, your typical stuff, fatigue, respiratory issues.

We do see this one weird symptom that I want to talk about for a sec, cropping up a lot, because a lot of people are getting conjunctivitis or pink eye. Actually, one study looked at this, the people who'd gotten it, and found that 93% of them had gotten pink eye, which is like not typical for flu.

We do see this one weird symptom that I want to talk about for a sec, cropping up a lot, because a lot of people are getting conjunctivitis or pink eye. Actually, one study looked at this, the people who'd gotten it, and found that 93% of them had gotten pink eye, which is like not typical for flu.

Yeah, but overall, like a lot of people are getting these sort of like milder symptoms.

Yeah, but overall, like a lot of people are getting these sort of like milder symptoms.

But then there are some serious cases where things played out really differently. And I want to talk about a couple of those. Okay. So there's one in Canada. Canada's first human case of bird flu has everyone talking.

But then there are some serious cases where things played out really differently. And I want to talk about a couple of those. Okay. So there's one in Canada. Canada's first human case of bird flu has everyone talking.

Had to be on life-saving machines, super scary, ends up surviving. And then there's a person in Louisiana who, same thing, gets really sick and ends up in the hospital, and that person ends up dying.

Had to be on life-saving machines, super scary, ends up surviving. And then there's a person in Louisiana who, same thing, gets really sick and ends up in the hospital, and that person ends up dying.

And when the scientists genetically tested the virus that's in these two people, they're like, oh, no. This is a slightly different type of bird flu. Because H5N1's baby, she's got babies of her own. And this particular baby, it seems to be making people sicker. And it is spreading in birds. And now also in the cows.

And when the scientists genetically tested the virus that's in these two people, they're like, oh, no. This is a slightly different type of bird flu. Because H5N1's baby, she's got babies of her own. And this particular baby, it seems to be making people sicker. And it is spreading in birds. And now also in the cows.

Yeah, and we've since seen a few more cases of it in the U.S., a couple more people hospitalized. In addition to this, you know, we are seeing bird flu cases and deaths in other countries, too, in H5N1. It's showing up in Cambodia. It's killed several people there, including children.

Yeah, and we've since seen a few more cases of it in the U.S., a couple more people hospitalized. In addition to this, you know, we are seeing bird flu cases and deaths in other countries, too, in H5N1. It's showing up in Cambodia. It's killed several people there, including children.

We just had a child die in India, a child in Mexico, and we don't always know exactly which of these types of H5N1 it is, which version, if it's this creepier one, if it's something else. In some cases, though, it does seem likely that it is.

We just had a child die in India, a child in Mexico, and we don't always know exactly which of these types of H5N1 it is, which version, if it's this creepier one, if it's something else. In some cases, though, it does seem likely that it is.

That is 100% the question, right? Because that, if that starts happening, Wendy, like that's when we're like, we've got an outbreak. Yes. And we start freaking out about a pandemic, right? Exactly.