A new strain of bird flu, H5N9, has been confirmed at a duck farm in California, marking the first instance of the strain in US poultry. The outbreak, discovered on January 13, led to the culling of 119,000 ducks. While the H5N1 strain was also present, health experts are concerned about the virus potentially mutating into a human-contagious form. The situation is compounded by the US’s withdrawal from the world health organization, raising concerns about global health coordination.
