While avian influenza used to infect mostly birds, in the past few years, it’s been found in over 70 mammal species, including cats, dairy cows, foxes, seals, and bears. Each new mammalian infection gives the virus more chances to drift or shift, spill over into humans, and ignite a pandemic. So, what is it about H5N1 that makes it so frighteningly flexible? Benjamin Anderson investigates.
Lesson by Benjamin Anderson, directed by Anton Bogaty.