USDA–Iowa State University Lab-Engineer New Chimeric Bird Flu Viruses That Bind to Human Breast Tissue: 'Journal of Dairy Science'
Mutant virus also binds to the milk-producing tissues of cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, and alpacas.
In a federally funded experiment conducted by Iowa State University and the USDA Agricultural Research Service, researchers created genetically engineered, chimeric H5N1 influenza viruses using reverse genetics.
They demonstrated that these lab-built viruses possess the ability to bind to the mammary-gland tissue of cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, alpacas, and—critically—to human breast epithelium containing the receptors needed for viral attachment.
The study was published in the Journal of Dairy Science on Thursday.
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Construction of the Engineered H5N1 Viruses
The foundation of this study is not observation of natural viruses, but the deliberate engineering of new viral constructs.
Lab-Built Virus #1: Reverse-Engineered H5N1–PR8 Chimera
The team constructed a synthetic H5N1 influenza virus consisting of:
An engineered low-pathogenicity 2.3.4.4b H5 (polybasic cleavage site removed),
Wild-type N1, and
Six internal gene segments from the PR8 A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 (H1N1) laboratory backbone.
The paper describes it plainly:
“A reverse engineered… H5N1 that contained an engineered low pathogenicity 2.3.4.4b H5… wild type N1, and 6 internal segments from A/Puerto Rico/8/1943 (H1N1)… .”
This is a designed chimeric virus, intentionally altered for experimental use.
Lab-Built Virus #2: Twist-Biosciences HA/NA Recombinant
For replication and confirmation, the team constructed a second engineered H5N1, using:
Synthetic HA and NA genes ordered from Twist Biosciences,
Combined with the same PR8 internal gene cassette.
The paper states:
“These 2 plasmids were then combined with reverse genetic plasmids encoding the 6 internal genes of the laboratory-adapted A/Puerto Rico/8/34 (H1N1).”
The study is fundamentally about manufacturing H5N1 hybrids, not characterizing natural spillover.
What the Engineered Viruses Did—Traits of the Constructs They Built
Everything that follows is a property of the viruses they created.
These outcomes describe what the engineered constructs were capable of, not what wild H5N1 has proven to do.
The Engineered Viruses Bound to Human Breast Tissue
When the researchers exposed their synthetic H5N1 to human breast sections, the virus demonstrated binding to multiple epithelial regions.
This is possible because human breast ducts and alveoli contain both avian-type (α2,3) and human-adapted (α2,6) influenza receptors, which the engineered virus exploited:
“Human sections of the interlobular duct and secretory alveoli (Ciii, Diii, Giii, and Hiii) showed multifocal to diffuse apical epithelial labeling for both SNA and MAL-II. Teat and gland cistern are uncommon in the human breast.”
Thus, the lab-built virus displayed binding compatibility with human mammary epithelium.
b. The Engineered Viruses Bound to Livestock Mammary Glands Across Species
The engineered H5N1 constructs also bound strongly to:
Cattle
Sheep
Goats
Pigs
Alpacas
“The current study showed that the mammary tissues from ruminants (cattle, sheep, and goat) and nonruminants (alpaca, pig, and human) exhibited labeled SA α2,3-gal and SA α2,6-gal receptors along the mammary epithelium, suggesting that both mammalian and avian IAV have the potential to bind.”
The Engineered Viruses Exhibit Mammary Tropism
The results show that the viruses they designed can attach throughout the entire mammary architecture:
Teat canal
Gland cistern
Ductal system
Secretory alveoli
The authors explicitly acknowledge implications for infection:
“The mammary gland could serve as an alternative replication site for IAV.”
Again: This is what their lab-built H5N1 is capable of.
Federal Funding and Institutional Linkages
The engineered-virus work was funded and executed by:
USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
National Animal Disease Center (USDA)
Iowa State University
Virus and Prion Research Unit (USDA)
George Mason University
Funding disclosure:
“This work was also supported in part by the USDA ARS (project number 5030-32000-231-000-D).”
Virus engineering, tissue-binding analysis, and outbreak-response authority sit inside the same federal architecture.
National Security Implications
Laboratory-Engineered Mammary Tropism
The ability of an engineered H5N1 construct to bind to human mammary tissue creates direct concerns for:
Breast infection
Viral shedding into milk
Maternal–neonatal exposure
Health worker exposure
Supply chain vulnerabilities in dairy production
Engineered Cross-Species Compatibility
The synthetic viruses exhibit mammary binding across multiple agricultural species, suggesting the constructs have broad mammalian attachment potential—a trait with dual-use implications.
The Virus’ Characteristics Are Lab-Derived, Not Naturally Observed
Every feature described in the paper—especially mammary binding—is a trait expressed by the engineered constructs they built.
This distinction is essential for policy and oversight.
Bottom Line
This study is not an examination of wild H5N1 behavior.
It is an examination of engineered viral behavior.
The researchers created new chimeric H5N1 viruses using synthetic genetics and a PR8 backbone, and these lab-built constructs showed binding abilities in human breast tissue and the mammary glands of multiple livestock species.
The national-security implications stem directly from these engineered viral traits—not from natural evolution.
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What the hell is wrong with these maniacs? Time to jail all of these criminals for creating biological weapons.
Our federal political class are aptly applying what is known as the 'Cloward/Piven' thesis on our country... this is some kind of an auto-destruct mode on/of us all. Most of the time, people that act like this are tyrants (sometimes referred to as psychopaths). Past history abounds with stories (and people) like these.