What is the current impact of the H5N1 virus on human health in the United States?

Since the start of 2024, 69 human cases of H5N1 have been recorded in America, including the death of a 65-year-old Louisiana man who contracted the virus after exposure to infected animals. The virus has expanded beyond birds, with dairy cows in Nevada testing positive for a strain that causes severe illness in humans. Domesticated cats have also tested positive, raising significant concerns about the virus's spread across species. These discoveries have sparked fears that H5N1 could mutate, further increasing the risk of a broader pandemic and making it even more dangerous for humans.