Science journalist and author Brandon Keim joins me to discuss the origins and evolution of H5N1—popularly known as bird flu—explored in his excellent article for Nautilus, The Unnatural History of Bird Flu.

Brandon Keim deftly covers the recent evolutionary history and trajectory of avian influenza, with a focus on H5N1 and its subvariants as it has become more virulent and has evolved into an emergent public health threat for the human species. Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenzas (HPAI) emerge under specific environmental pressures and contexts, and the highly consequential influenza strain, H5N1, is no different, with the main culprit for its troubling evolution being intensive animal production.

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