Scientists warn risk of human bird flu pandemic is rising

After England reported its first case of bird flu this week, concerns were raised about the possibility of an avian flu pandemic.

Although there is currently no evidence the virus can be transmitted from person to person, experts fear the virus has completed its first “stepping stone” towards humans.

The virus has even adapted to new hosts around the world, such as cows and seals, sparking a global crisis and raising the risk of spread amongst humans.

The Doomsday Clock inched closer to midnight yesterday (January 28) as the risk of human destruction is closer than ever before. Concerningly, experts cited the highly contagious avian flu as one of the reasons behind the move.

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (BAS) said: “The off-season appearance and in-season continuance of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), the number and types of birds it has infected, the number and types of mammals to which it has spread, its appearance in dairy products, and the troubling occurrence of human cases have combined to create an increasingly worrisome situation.

“The ability of all influenza viruses to mutate, break apart, and recombine to create new strains makes the emergence of a human-transmissible version of bird flu a serious possibility.”

The United Nations (UN) health agency reported last month that avian flu had hit 108 countries across five continents, causing the deaths of more than 300 million birds worldwide.

Now, a large number of outbreaks have been reported in the UK, with one confirmed human case. Should we be worried about a bird flu pandemic?

Bird flu, also known as avian flu, is a form of the influenza virus that is highly contagious amongst birds and, in rare cases, can spread to humans.

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