H5N1 Bird Flu Explained: What You Need to Know About Transmission, Symptoms, and Current Risk Levels
Published: November 12, 2025
Duration: 4:54
Welcome to “Avian Flu 101: Your H5N1 Bird Flu Guide.” I’m your host, and in the next three minutes, we’ll unpack everything you need to know about H5N1 bird flu—what it is, how it works, and what makes it different from other viruses like seasonal flu and COVID-19.
Let’s start with some basic virology. The H5N1 bird flu virus belongs to a group known as influenza A viruses, which are single-stranded RNA viruses with eight genetic segments. These gene segments can mix and match when viruses coinfect the same cell—a process called reassor...
Let’s start with some basic virology. The H5N1 bird flu virus belongs to a group known as influenza A viruses, which are single-stranded RNA viruses with eight genetic segments. These gene segments can mix and match when viruses coinfect the same cell—a process called reassor...