Deadly Bird Flu Strain Detected In Nevada Man: 4 Stocks To Watch

by Erica Kollmann Benzinga Staff Writer

Zinger Key Points

A Nevada dairy worker screens positive for the D1.1 strain of bird flu associated with a Louisiana man’s death in January.
The CDC says that the public health risk remains low and it is using its flu surveillance systems to monitor for H5 bird flu activity.
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A Nevada dairy worker has screened positive for the D1.1 strain of bird flu associated with a Louisiana man's death in January, according to a CNN report. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working Monday to confirm the initial positive test.

The Details: The Nevada dairy worker who has initially tested positive is currently experiencing mild symptoms, including conjunctivitis or "pink eye," which appears to be a common symptom in recent human infections.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said six dairy herds in Nevada tested positive for the D1.1 strain of bird flu, marking the first time the variant of the H5N1 virus was detected in cattle.

The current public health risk remains low, according to the CDC. The agency is using flu surveillance systems to monitor for H5 bird flu activity in people.

In January, President Donald Trump ordered a stop to all communications from CDC. Its website currently displays a banner stating that the site is being "modified to comply with President Trump's Executive Orders."

The CDC resumed publishing its weekly scientific report, the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, last Thursday after being paused for the previous two weeks.

What Else: The H5N1 avian flu continues to spread in wild bird populations as well as in domestic flocks. As many as 15 birds at the Queens and Bronx zoos died last week as a result of the bird flu and a zoo spokesperson told Gothamist that "vulnerable bird species” have been moved to protected areas as vets work with city, state and federal regulators.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has ordered live poultry markets in New York City, Westchester and Long Island to close after several bird flu cases were detected in Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx last week.

According to the National Emerging Special Pathogens Training & Education Center, more than 60 million poultry have died or been culled due to bird flu since the outbreak began in 2022. More than 20 million egg-laying chickens were culled in the last quarter of 2024 alone, creating a large impact on the U.S. poultry industry.

Stocks To Watch: With another human case of bird flu likely having been detected, investors may want to monitor the following stocks that are connected with bird flu vaccines.

Moderna Inc. MRNA in January received an additional $590 million award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to accelerate the development of its mRNA-based influenza vaccines, including bird flu.

CureVac BV CVAC has started a phase I/II study on its bird flu vaccine candidate developed in collaboration with GSK Plc GSK and Novavax Inc. NVAX also has bird flu vaccine candidates in clinical trials.

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