Americans Are Underestimating Bird Flu. In A Future Pandemic, That Could Be A Problem The public just isn’t concerned enough about H5N1, suggests new research. Laura Simmons IFLScience

The general public are showing “ignorance and apathy” towards the threat of bird flu, say the authors of a new editorial, based on a survey they conducted of US residents. It found that many were unaware of or unwilling to take simple precautions that might decrease their risk of exposure to the virus.

60,000 Americans to lose their rental assistance and risk eviction unless Congress acts The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development says that rental assistance for some 60,000 Americans fleeing homelessness or domestic violence will run out of money by the end of next year. AP News

... the program, Emergency Housing Vouchers, is running out of money — and quickly.

NIH said to have halted awarding of new grants to top universities Universities whose NIH funding has been frozen may face further strain as the agency holds off awarding new grants to at least a half dozen of them, according to an internal email. Anil Oza STAT

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As bird flu hits cattle herds in U.S., scientists say these H5N1 factors worry them most Bird flu infections have been rare among people, but the pathogen is evolving, which has scientists worried about a possible pandemic. CBS News

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What causes breakthrough measles infections? A small number of people who are fully vaccinated may get sick during a large outbreak, doctors say. NBC News

...Infectious diseases doctors are at pains to emphasize that the MMR vaccine is one of the most effective vaccines on the market, but as Rodney Rohde, a professor at Texas State University explains, a small number of people who are fully vaccinated may get sick during a large outbreak.

Flu continues to ebb in US as pediatric deaths reach 198 One state, however—New York—reports high activity of influenza-like illness. CIDRAP

US flu activity declined steadily again last week, with rates of influenza-like illness (ILI) dropping further and staying below baseline levels, but flu-related deaths in children climbed to 198, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in its weekly update Friday. ...

Trump turns a COVID information website into a promotion page for the lab leak theory A federal website that used to feature information on vaccines, testing and treatment for COVID-19 has been transformed into a page supporting the theory that the pandemic originated with a lab leak. AP News

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