New mutations help the H5N1 bird flu virus infect cows but not people
H5N1 bird flu viruses have acquired a molecular trick that makes them more easily infect mammary glands in cattle, but this adaptation does not appear to affect humans. To infect cells, influenza viruses latch on to certain sugars decorating cell surfaces. Some H5N1 viruses have picked up mutations that allow them to grab one such…
