Student researchers Mayisha Alam (L) and Swazi Tshabalala (R) collect samples as part of their work with the nonprofit BioBus.
Christine Marizzi/BioBus
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Christine Marizzi/BioBus
Student researchers Mayisha Alam (L) and Swazi Tshabalala (R) collect samples as part of their work with the nonprofit BioBus.
Christine Marizzi/BioBus
Most viruses that become epidemics in humans begin in other animals. It’s how scientists suspect COVID-19 emerged.
And now, less than five years after the start of the pandemic some scientists are concerned about another disease that could do something similar: bird flu, or H5N1. Over the past year, the virus has spilled into cows and other animals, and even infected some people working closely with those animals.
Some scientists hope to build a more resilient public health system by finding ways to detect and to track viruses as they spread in animals.
One team in New York City is doing this by tapping high school students from underrepresented backgrounds. Together, they create a more equitable field of biologists while they also sniff out what could be the next pandemic.
They are helping understand the H5N1 outbreak. But just this week, the CDC is investigating cases of a potential cluster of bird flu while others are piecing together what has become a panzootic — or a pandemic in animals.
Want to know more about pandemic surveillance or virology? Email us at shortwave@npr.org — we might cover it on a future episode!
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This episode was produced by Rachel Carlson, edited by Rebecca Ramirez and fact checked by Anil Oza and Tyler Jones. Kwesi Lee was the audio engineer.