Expert available: Bird flu incidents increasing globally

From the detection of bird flu in raw milk in the United States, to the culling of chickens in New Zealand, incidents of avian influenza are capturing headlines around the globe.

The impact of bird flu doesn’t just stop at animals. There have been numerous cases of humans who have contracted the H5N1 strain of the virus, including the case of a teenager in Canada. In fact, in California, 31 people have been confirmed to have contracted H5N1 as of Dec. 2, 2024.

Below you will find an expert with McMaster University who is available to speak on avian influenza and its potential for spread:

Matthew Miller is the scientific director of the Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research and executive director of McMaster University’s Global Nexus.

Miller, who is associate professor with the Department of Biochemistry & Biomedical Sciences, has previously spoken at length about the intricacies of H5N1 and its ability to spread among the bird population.

He can be reached directly at [email protected].

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For any other assistance, contact Adam Ward, media relations officer with McMaster University’s Faculty of Health Sciences, at [email protected].