The science writer who warned the world about COVID years before it happened is sounding the alarm again. David Quammen—whose 2012 book predicted a coronavirus jumping from animals to humans—says a new case in the U.S. should not be ignored. This time, the concern is a strain of bird flu never before seen in people.
Health officials say an older adult in Washington state became “severely ill” after catching H5N5, a virus normally found only in birds. The patient had a high fever, confusion, and trouble breathing for weeks. Their close contact with backyard poultry is believed to be the source.
Quammen calls this infection a “serious warning event.” He says bird flu mutates constantly, and every infected animal gives the virus millions of chances to change. A few small mutations could make it spread easily between humans. “It could happen tomorrow, next year, or never,” he said. “But the possibility is real.”
Still, he stresses that H5N5 does not appear more dangerous than the better-known H5N1 strain. Scientists he spoke with say there is no sign it is adapting to humans. For now, this single case rings an alarm—without further red flags around it.
Even so, Quammen believes other human infections are likely going undetected, especially among farm workers. Since 2022, the U.S. has recorded 71 bird flu cases, mostly linked to dairy herds and poultry farms.
His larger warning is about timing. Flu season is already hitting countries like Japan and the UK hard, and experts fear a severe winter ahead. With rising flu activity and scattered bird flu cases, Quammen says strong surveillance and early action are more important than ever.
