On Wednesday, as news broke that the Trump administration was reneging on the contract, Moderna reported positive results from an early trial of a vaccine targeting H5 influenza viruses. In a preliminary trial of 300 healthy adults, the vaccine candidate appeared safe and boosted antibody levels against the virus by 44.5-fold.

Over the past three years, avian influenza (H5N1) has spread around the U.S. and affected many species of birds and mammals, including humans. Experts at a recent webinar offered answers to common questions about the disease — how it spreads,

Highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses like H5N1, H5N6, and H7N9 pose an evolving global threat due to their capacity to infect birds, mammals, and occasionally humans, with sporadic outbreaks and limited treatment options.

How dangerous is it? Where did it come from? H5N1 influenza’s origins stretch back to the 1990s, and key events paved the way for the outbreak we’re seeing today.

Public health risks remain low, but experts in Europe are calling for more surveillance given the virus is so widespread among birds. View on euronews