British public health experts warn that bird flu, including the H5N1 variant, which can also infect humans, could cause a pandemic worse than COVID-19. They call on the world's governments to take immediate action to prevent a possible catastrophe, stressing that time for preventive measures is running out fast.
A flu virus could generate a new pandemic – Photo Archive
“Cows' ears contain cells with receptors used by the H5N1 virus to attach to the respiratory tract of birds and which allow the H5N1 virus to attach to the human respiratory tract,” warns Dr. Leonard Mermel, medical director of the Department of Epidemiology and Infection Prevention, Lifespan Healthcare System, in an article published in the Providence Journal, according to the Daily Star.
“Because there may be millions of H5N1 viruses in a cow's udder with human respiratory receptors, and because H5N1 is a rapidly mutating virus, the cow's udder is a potential “mixing pot” through which a mutation could make H5N1 virus to bind preferentially to human cells. Such potential puts us on the brink of a pandemic that could mirror or surpass the 1918 flu pandemic,” completed the specialist.
Moreover, bird flu “would see a 40-fold increase in mortality compared to COVID-19“, added the virologist expert.
For his part, Matthew S. Miller, director of the MG DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research at McMaster University, warned about the bird flu outbreak.
“Actions taken now will determine whether the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 outbreak already affecting birds and mammals worldwide will spread to humans” said the expert.
We remind you that, last month, the Biden administration allocated almost 200 million dollars to combat the spread of avian flu in cow farms in the United States, where the H5N1 virus was detected in dairy cattle in nine states. Funds will help implement prevention measures, animal and milk testing, and public health protection through the FDA and CDC. The efforts are aimed at reducing the risk of transmission of the virus to humans and ensuring national food security.
How likely is a future pandemic
Dr. Emilian Popovici, vice-president of the Romanian Society of Epidemiology, explained for “The Truth” whether we should prepare for another pandemic due to bird flu.
“The AH5N1 avian influenza virus is currently circulating in mammals and birds, with sporadic cases of transmission from them to humans to date. Theoretical laboratory modeling involving certain cells from the cow's ear or udder, cells that could favor the passage of the virus to the human species, are theoretically possible, but there are no mandatory paths to follow in the natural model. From the currently available data, AH5N1 Avian Influenza generates a mortality in humans of approximately 50% only as this percentage is only related to laboratory-confirmed cases and as to these are also added an important number of medium or even milder cases not confirmed by laboratory, it follows that the true fatality rate is somewhere at a lower level than specified“, explained epidemiologist Emilian Popovici.
However, the long coexistence of humans with avian viruses has so far not led to their transmission to the human species.
“In fact, the human species also coexists with avian viruses for a long time and their transition to humans has not occurred so far. That doesn't mean serious research shouldn't be done on a bird flu vaccine, or that a clear plan of action shouldn't be thought of should this virus ever make the transition to the human species. It is enough to think about the fact that avian viruses also travel with migratory birds, for example, and no one will ever be able to prevent their intercontinental movement“, the doctor also said.
Moreover, humans are responsible for the destruction of the environment in numerous cases, and sometimes human intervention leads to the transfer of viruses from wild animals to humans, as happened with SARS-CoV-2.
So, “it is important that man does not unbalance the environment through his interventions on it and be cautious when, for example, he notices a large number of deaths of birds in a very short time. The Lipovians from the Delta know this very well!“, emphasized Dr. Emilian Popovici.
