The ongoing bird flu outbreak has led to wild bird deaths, slaughtered livestock, and hazardous conditions for dairy industry workers.

Health authorities say the threat of infection for people remained low even amid the spread of H5N1 virus among birds and cattle nationally.

Scientists are sounding alarms about a genetic mutation that was recently identified in four dairy cow herds, nearly one year after H5N1 bird flu was first reported in Texas dairy cattle. The change is one that researchers have dreaded finding because it is associated with increased mammal-to-mammal transmission and disease severity.