Bird flue has been increasing its foothold in the US, Asia, Latin America, and Europe. The US reported more than hundreds of millions of cases in poultry costing the US government around $660 million. The virus has already spread to other mammals such as bears and red foxes in the US.
Can It Cause A New Pandemic?
By looking at the speed at which the bird flu is spreading, some scientists are saying that there is a possibility of another pandemic. Only around human cases were reported last year, but they too had 53 percent mortality, according to the WorldHealth Organization. The virus has killed 15 million domestic birds and some 193 million were culled since 2021. Some experts believe that although the risk of spillover is high but recent cases have only infected birds.
Climate Factor
According to WHO, the chances of avian virus infecting humans “is low”. The fear of the pandemic makes sense as rising earth temperatures have altered the migration pattern of wild birds. Scientists are also worried about the genetic mutation of the virus but they are still not sure when it will happen.
