WHO warns that bird flu has become a very serious risk

IN 2020 The first cases of a new disease began to be identified bird flu outbreak which continues today. For some reason, we were too busy at the time to pay attention to other viruses. It seemed like a minor problem. However, since then the situation has only worsened. So much so that World Health Organization published this Thursday a notice of concern, warning that measures must be taken in advance in the face of possible mutations that allow infection between people.

Currently, tens of millions of birds have died worldwide, both in the wild and free-ranging. This is in line with expectations for bird flu. The problem is that it seems that H5N1 virus It mutates in such a way that it jumps into species that were previously thought to be resistant to its infection. For example, cases have been reported in wild animals such as foxes, bears and seals; domestic or stray mammals such as cats and dogs; farm species such as goats, cows and minks, and zoo animals such as tigers and leopards. The virus has even reached the aquatic environment, infecting cetaceans.

Perhaps the case of cetaceans or foxes is not the most dangerous for humans. However, domestic and farm animals are a major concern in this regard. Several cases of human infection by these animals have already been identified. It turned out that in our species the virus has a very high mortality rate. From From 2003 to April 1, 889 cases were identified. this year, 463 people died. Fortunately, no cases of infection between people have yet been identified, but if this happened, the situation would be very serious. Therefore, we must consider taking action on this issue.

How can bird flu spread to humans?

The avian influenza virus was discovered in 1996 in domestic waterfowl in southern China. In 1997, several outbreaks were already identified in this country, which also led to infection of 18 people, of whom 6 died.

Infection of wild species helped the virus spread to other countries, so that today it is widespread throughout the world. Initially, both H5N1 and other variants that emerged in Asia were transmitted only to birds. But this latest outbreak, which began in 2020, spreads quickly among mammals.

People become infected through direct contact with animals or their feces, or by eating unprocessed or undercooked meat and other animal products. These infections cause symptoms such as cough, sore throat and muscles, difficulty breathing, runny nose, fatigue, fever and diarrhea. In approximately 52% of cases identified to date, the infection was complicated and resulted in the death of the patient.

This is all because with each new infection, since the virus copies itself, there is a chance that it will make mistakes. These failures convert to mutation which can be negative for its spread, neutral or positive. Among the latter are those that would give him the tools to infect the cells of new species, as well as all those mammals among which these cases are detected. Another one of these mistakes could lead to the spread of infection between people, which would be disastrous if action is not taken.

What does the World Health Organization say?

Chief Scientist, UN Health Agency, Jeremy Farrar warned this Thursday in a statement to journalists that bird flu could lead to a pandemic if it manages to spread between people.

Therefore, there was a call to increase animal case monitoring. Laboratories were also invited to begin work on developing vaccines and treatment, so that if this moment comes, you would not have to work against the clock. And, of course, healthcare workers around the world are strongly encouraged learn to recognize the avian influenza virus in humansto isolate patients as quickly as possible if there is a possibility of transmission from one person to another.

As a call for calm, it should be noted that currently it is difficult to infect humans from animals. Especially for people who don’t work with them. And infection between people is literally impossible. But if the time comes when a mutation forces everything to change, it’s best to be prepared. If there’s another pandemic, don’t let it take over us again. protect.