Will rampant avian flu turn out to be next pandemic after Covid-19?

The whole world is currently witnessing the largest-ever recorded outbreak of avian influenza through poultry and wild birds. Now, the fear is that it may pose a risk to humans as well. On February 8, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO head, warned that the world had to prepare for a potential bird-flu pandemic. 

Currently, the strains causing the outbreak are avian influenza A (H5N1)2.3.4.4b viruses. In the past few weeks, Peru has reported the deaths of 585 sea lions from H5N1. 

Nearly 15 million birds have been culled in Japan, a record high for a single season, amid an unprecedented spread of bird flu across the country, the farm ministry said Thursday.

Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said the number of culled birds now stands at 14.78 million, about 50 percent more than the record 9.87 million logged during the 2020-2021 season, Xinhua News Agency reported.

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The figure hiked as the disease hit large chicken farms, including one in Misawa City, Aomori Prefecture, where about 1.39 million birds were culled in December.

Ministry data showed that 76 bird flu outbreaks have been confirmed at poultry farms and elsewhere in 25 prefectures since the first cases were reported in October last year in Okayama Prefecture and Hokkaido.

The ongoing bird flu outbreaks serve as a reminder of the importance of taking proactive measures to prevent the spread of animal-borne diseases and to protect both animal and human health.

However, so far, there is no evidence of the virus affecting humans. 

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), they first emerged in 2020 and spread to Africa, Asia, and Europe through migratory birds.

The US Department of Agriculture reported that H5N1 has been detected in skunks, foxes, raccoons, bears, mountain lions, dolphins, and many others.

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Officials say bird flu doesn’t represent a significant threat to human health. Human cases are extremely rare and none of the infected birds are allowed into the nation’s food supply. And properly cooking poultry to 165 degrees Fahrenheit will kill any viruses.

There has only been one human case of bird flu confirmed during this outbreak and that was a man who had been helping slaughter and removes infected birds from a Colorado farm.

H5N1 has not shown that it can spread directly between humans. But the virus is constantly changing so it could jump from birds to humans. 

It is important to remember that bird flu is not a pandemic, meaning it has not spread globally and is not affecting large numbers of avians in multiple countries. However, it is still a serious public health concern and should be taken seriously by those who work with birds or have contact with birds.