A recent surge in bird flu cases has raised concerns about the potential for a global pandemic. The latest troubling news is that a British Columbia teenager was infected with H5N1 from an unknown source early last month.
The 14-year-old was diagnosed with conjunctivitis and later developed symptoms of fever and acute respiratory distress, requiring a ventilator to aid with breathing. Genetic analysis revealed two mutations in the virus that could enhance its ability to infect human cells, and a third mutation that allows it to replicate in the human body.
The case is unsettling due to the unknown source of transmission and the fact that the teen’s symptoms are severe. Similar cases have been reported in the United States, including a young child in San Francisco who contracted H5N1 from an unknown source. Additionally, a pig in Oregon has also tested positive for the virus.
The concern is not limited to human transmission, as cattle are also being infected with the bird flu virus. In the US, over 675 herds have been affected, and there have been 52 documented cases of humans contracting avian influenza. The lack of testing for raw milk tainted by the virus in some states poses a potential risk for transmission.
Poultry stocks are also at risk, with over 111 million birds slaughtered in infected flocks in the US and Canada since early 2022. The Fraser Valley in British Columbia is particularly affected, with 54 H5N1 outbreaks reported, including the case of the infected teenager.
While it’s difficult to predict the trajectory of a virus like H5N1, which has been causing sporadic outbreaks since 1997, the slow burn of bad news suggests that the threat may be more severe than initially thought. As Robert Redfield, former director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, warns: “It’s not a question of if, it’s more a question of when we will have a bird flu pandemic.”
Source: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-are-we-sleepwalking-toward-another-pandemic