H9N2 Bird Flu Virus Could Pose Human Pandemic Risk, Experts Warn

image via New Scientist

October 29, 2025, 12:00 PM

• •H9N2 is the second most common bird flu strain infecting people.
• •H9N2 has caused 173 infections in people since 1998.
• •Experiments show H9N2 has adapted to human cells.
• •Person-to-person transmission of H9N2 has not been reported yet.

A recently adapted H9N2 bird flu strain, which has shown increased adaptability to human cells, poses a potential pandemic risk, according to new research. While H9N2 has caused 173 human infections since 1998, person-to-person transmission has not yet been documented. Scientists are concerned that genetic changes in H9N2, particularly since 2015, have made it more infectious in cell-based experiments. Increased surveillance and reporting of low-pathogenicity strains like H9N2 are needed to monitor and mitigate the risk.

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