The latest iteration of bird flu is concerning enough in its own right. It has already demonstrated a tremendous ability to jump species, and its spread to farm livestock has raised alarms among researchers studying the possibility of mass infection—including in humans.
What’s even more worrisome in the U.S., though, is what happens next. Assuming the H5N1 outbreak eventually reaches far more people than the three who’ve been confirmed so far in connection with dairy cows, how prepared are government agencies to react to widespread infection or a pandemic?
