Strain Of Bird Flu Discovered In California | Understanding Bipolar Disorder Through The Genome

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Jan 31, 2025

Charles Berquist, a senior producer at SciFri, and Niamh Mullins, a psychiatric genomics expert, dive into the recent discovery of the H5N9 bird flu strain in California. They discuss its implications for public health and the potential threat of viral reassortment. Switching gears, Niamh shares groundbreaking findings linking 298 genomic regions to bipolar disorder, unraveling its complex genetics and paving the way for improved treatments. The conversation also hints at the intriguing connections between genetics, gut health, and mental wellness.

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INSIGHT

New Bird Flu Strain

A new strain of bird flu, H5N9, has been found in the U.S. on a California duck farm.
While not an immediate human threat, its emergence raises concerns about viral reassortment.

ANECDOTE

Spacewalk and Microbes

Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore conducted a spacewalk, including taking swabs from the ISS exterior.
These swabs will be analyzed to determine if bacteria can survive in the vacuum of space.

INSIGHT

Itch-Scratch Cycle Benefits

Scratching an itch, while potentially damaging, can boost immune defenses against bacterial infections in mice.
This research could lead to new drug targets and relief for chronic itch conditions.

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The outbreak of H5N9 avian influenza occurred at a California duck farm in November 2024. Also, new research pinpoints 298 parts of the genome associated with higher risk of bipolar disorder. This could lead to better treatments.

Another Strain Of Bird Flu Discovered In California

This week, the World Organization for Animal Health reported that it had been notified by the USDA that a November outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza on a California duck farm was caused by a strain not before seen in the United States: H5N9. The dominant bird flu strain circulating currently, H5N1, has led to massive culling of bird flocks, has infected dairy cattle, and has killed almost 500 people around the world since 2003. The US reported its first human death from bird flu earlier this month.

Experts stressed that the new strain did not itself appear to be an immediate human threat. But the rise of a new strain is troubling and points to the risk of a viral phenomenon known as “reassortment,” in which different viruses mingled in a host can sometimes exchange bits of viral code, forming new strains.

SciFri’s Charles Bergquist joins Flora Lichtman to talk about H5N9 and other stories from the week in science, including a spacewalk that was meant to include a search for microbes on the outside of the International Space Station, a possible positive side effect of scratching an itch, and the discovery of 66 million-year-old fossilized vomit.

Understanding Bipolar Disorder Through The Genome

Bipolar disorder is one of the most common mental illnesses—it affects an estimated 40 million people worldwide, about 2.8% of the population. Bipolar disorder can cause extreme mood swings, and be debilitating without treatment.

In an effort to untangle the mysteries of where bipolar disorder originates, researchers studied the genomes of more than 40,000 people with the condition. When comparing these genomes to those of people without bipolar disorder, the researchers were able to pinpoint 298 different parts of the genome associated with the mental illness. With this better understanding of the genome, better, more targeted treatments for bipolar disorder may be possible.

Joining Flora to talk about this research is Dr. Niamh Mullins, assistant professor of psychiatric genomics at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York.

Transcripts for each segment will be available after the show airs on sciencefriday.com.

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