WASHINGTON (CN) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention request information and comments to questions on a highly contagious “goose” variant of avian influenza H5N1 viruses.

The viruses contain a hemagglutinin from the Goose/Guangdong/1/96 lineage. The CDC, among other questions, asks about “their potential to pose a severe threat to public health and safety.”

The CDC notes on its website that ferrets can transmit this variant, and it has been associated with infections in humans.

Comments will be accepted until Dec. 17.

For more information, click the document icon for this regulation and others.

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