1 Mutation Away? Bird Flu Jumps to Humans in 5 Countries!

A second human case of bird flu has been reported in India, raising concerns about the potential danger of this disease. A 4-year-old child has tested positive for bird flu, a virus typically found in birds. Health experts are increasingly worried as human cases continue to rise globally, suggesting a possible new epidemic on the horizon.

 

A few months ago, the H5N1 bird flu virus began spreading among animals in the United States, where it was detected in thousands of cows. The virus was subsequently found in animals in Denmark and Canada, affecting around 26 species. This development was alarming, as bird flu infections had previously been confined to birds.

The virus has since been identified in millions of animals and continues to spread. Bird flu is now becoming a significant threat for two main reasons. First, a recent human death in Mexico due to this virus marked the first fatality from bird flu, prompting the World Health Organization to issue a global alert. Shortly after, the virus was confirmed in a 4-year-old child in West Bengal, India.

The emergence of bird flu in such a densely populated country is particularly concerning.

 

1 Mutation Away?: The H5N1 bird flu virus does not easily spread among humans, with only a few reported cases worldwide. In India, there have been only two cases, one in 2019 and another recently. However, the rising number of infections in animals globally and the recent human cases pose a potential pandemic threat.

The bird flu was first identified in 1996 in chickens at a poultry center in Guangdong, China. The first human death from the virus occurred in 1997.

By 2020, the virus had undergone several mutations, and by 2022, it was detected in wild birds, with cases also increasing in the United States. Over the past year, millions of cases of H5N1 have been reported, affecting a large number of birds and animals. The infection’s spread to humans has significantly heightened concerns among experts.

Dr. NR Rawat from Rajasthan Veterinary and Animal Science University explains that people working in poultry farms are at the highest risk of infection, as the virus can spread through contact with the feces or urine of infected birds. While human-to-human transmission is rare, the increasing number of cases is alarming due to the high mortality rate of bird flu, which is higher than that of COVID-19. There is no specific treatment for human infection with this virus, making it particularly dangerous.

 

Dr. Rawat states that predicting whether bird flu will become a new epidemic is challenging. However, the virus is spreading rapidly and could persist among humans for an extended period. With its rapid spread among animals, the risk of human infection may increase, necessitating preparedness, especially for those involved in poultry farming who need to take extra precautions.

Epidemiologist Dr. Jugal Kishore notes that preventing bird flu infection in birds and animals is not easy, but controlling its spread to humans is possible. Poultry farmers should avoid close contact with infected birds and report any infections to authorities. If symptoms such as fever, difficulty breathing, and headache occur, individuals should seek medical advice promptly.