Birdโฃ Flu Virus โPosesโ Pandemic Risk Greater Than COVID, โขFrench Institute โคWarns
PARIS, Marchโฃ 28 – A highly โฃpathogenic avian influenza virus,โค commonly known as bird flu, could trigger โa global pandemic considerably more severe thanโ the COVID-19 crisis if it undergoes further mutation, according to a warning issued Thursday byโ FranceS leading scientific research institute,โฃ the Institut โPasteur. The current strain, while primarily โaffecting birds, exhibits increasing signs of adaptability that โฃraise concerns about its potential to efficiently infect and spread among humans.
the warning comes as outbreaks of โthe H5N1 virus continue to devastateโ poultry populations worldwide, and as isolated cases of human infection have been reported in variousโ countries. โExperts emphasize that while human-to-human transmission remainsโ limited, theโ virus’s rapid evolution โnecessitates urgent preparation and investment in vaccine development and pandemic response โคstrategies. A mutated strain capable of efficient human transmissionโข couldโ overwhelm healthcare systemsโ and cause widespread mortality,โ exceedingโ the impact of the โคCOVID-19 pandemic due โto โa lack of pre-existing immunity in the human โpopulation.
Institut Pasteur โขresearchers detailed โขtheirโฃ findings in a statement, highlighting the virus’s ability โto acquire mutations that enhance its โbinding to human respiratory cells. “The virus is accumulating โขchanges that make it more capable of โinfecting mammals, including โคhumans,” explained Professor Olivier Schwartz, head โคof the Virus and โฃImmunity Unit at the Institut Pasteur. โฃ”If these changes continue, and the virus gainsโ the ability to transmit efficiently between humans, we could face a pandemic with โa higher mortality rate than COVID-19.”
Currently, โthe primary risk remains exposure to infected birds. However,โ the institute’s modeling suggestsโ that even a small number โof human cases with efficient transmission could rapidly escalate into a global health emergency. Theโ World Health Association (WHO) is closely monitoring the โฃsituation โand hasโข urged countries โto strengthen surveillance of both animal and human populations.
The Institut Pasteur’s warning underscores โthe critical need forโ continuedโ research into influenza viruses, increased investment in vaccine productionโค capacity, and โthe development of antiviralโฃ treatments. โขscientists โคare working to developโฃ a worldwideโ flu vaccine that woudl offer broader protection against various strains, includingโ mutated avian influenza viruses. The institute stressed that proactive measures are essential โขto mitigate the potential for a catastrophicโข pandemic event.
