Will bird flu spark a human pandemic? Scientists say the risk is rising Nature - H5N1 is adapting to new mammalian hosts, raising the possibility of the virus spreading between humans. Kozlov, Max nature

Although many of the infections have been mild, emerging data indicate that variants of the avian influenza virus H5N1 that are spreading in North America can cause severe disease and death, especially when passed directly to humans from birds. The virus is also adapting to new hosts — cows and other mammals — raising the risk that it could spark a human pandemic.

Flu vaccines have prevented millions of deaths, research shows The 1918 Spanish flu pandemic was caused by a particularly virulent strain of influenza virus. It infected 500 million people, caused around 50 million deaths, and its impact was so severe that global ... Medical Xpress

...In terms of its effectiveness in preventing deaths, our analysis of the data shows that influenza vaccination is able to reduce infection-associated mortality by half overall, including H3N2 infections.

...

Despite concerns about the future of research at the National Institutes of Health, current clinical trials can continue as scheduled, the agency’s acting director told staff scientists in an email Monday.

The clarification followed what staffers called “chaos” Wednesday when the Trump administration “paused” all communications from federal health agencies and suspended all government travel. The directive left NIH staff members with unanswered questions about their work and even whether they’d be able to continue caring for their patients.

...

State Department Reverses Near-Full Stop of Foreign Aid Marco Rubio’s memo now exempts ‘core life saving programs’ but withholds assistance for diversity and abortions. Michael R. Gordon and Alexander Ward WSJ

The Trump administration pulled back from its order to pause nearly all foreign aid, and will now exempt “core life saving programs” that involve medicine, medical services, food and shelter, according to a Tuesday memo from Secretary of State Marco Rubio. 

What a US exit from the WHO means for global health For decades, the United States has held considerable power in determining the direction of global health policies and programs. President Donald Trump issued three executive orders on his first day in ... Amy Maxmen Medical Xpress

...

CDC staff ordered to cut off communication with WHO The directive to the CDC to halt communications with the World Health Organization was imposed to comply with President Trump's executive order. CBS News

...

Trump is pausing federal loans and grants as his administration reviews spending The White House is pausing federal grants and loans as President Donald Trump’s administration begins an across-the-board ideological review of its spending. AP News

...

What is H5N9? US reports first bird flu strain outbreak in poultry U.S. authorities also identified the more common H5N1 strain on the same farm in Merced County, California. Newsweek

he United States has reported its first outbreak of H5N9 bird flu on a duck farm in California, according to the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) on Monday.

H5N9 is a rare subtype of the influenza A virus that can cause highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), also known as bird flu. It's a reassortment strain that originated from the H5N1, H7N9, and H9N2 subtypes.

...

Michael Bloomberg steps in to help fund UN climate body after Trump withdrawal