Bird flu used to sound like a “poultry industry problem.” Now it’s showing up everywhere and rewriting the rules for wild birds, ecosystems, and what “outbreak” even means. In this episode, host Dr. Scott Taylor is joined by Dr. Nichola Hill, disease ecologist and Assistant Professor at UMass Boston, to unpack what’s different about the current H5N1 wave.In this episode, you’ll hear about:How today’s H5N1 differs from past avian flu strains and why this version has scientists so alarmedWhat changed in the virus (and the world) to make outbreaks more frequent, widespread, and severeWhy we’re seeing such intense impacts in wild bird populations right now, not just on farmsThe cautious good news: what vaccines, immunity, resistance, and adaptation might look like and what’s still unknownIf you enjoy this one, follow Okay, But… Birds and share it with a friend who thinks bird flu is only a chicken story.

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