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H5N1 Bird Flu Isn’t a Human Pandemic—Yet. American Contrariness Could Turn It into One

www.scientificamerican.com H5N1 Bird Flu Isn’t a Human Pandemic—Yet

Americans don’t like being told what to do, and many don’t trust government. These stubborn attitudes might turn H5N1 bird flu into a pandemic

H5N1 Bird Flu Isn’t a Human Pandemic—Yet

When H5N1 avian influenza started spreading among dairy cattle across the U.S. this year, regulators warned against consuming unpasteurized milk. What happened? Raw milk sales went up.

Distributors of this unsafe-for-human-consumption product deny H5N1—which has the potential to sicken millions of people—is a danger. Dairy farmers decline to allow disease detectives onto their properties.

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