Scientists have warned that bird flu might be the next ‘deadly’ pandemic with the capacity to kill millions of birds and humans, Guardian confirms.
A horde of influenza viruses is sweeping through wild bird populations around the world. If any gain the ability to spread between humans, we may likely face a deadly flu pandemic.
Last week, World Health Organization (WHO) head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Thursday that while the risk to humans is low, ‘we cannot assume that will remain the case and we must prepare for any change in the status quo.
Even though some antiviral drugs are available but it would take time to develop a vaccine.
The Avian flu has infected a record number of birds and some mammals across the United States, and scientists are keeping close watch.
The virus has gone far beyond birds, and its recent spread among members of a separate species has some experts concerned about the way the virus is changing.
However, scientists are reassuring the public that, with a few rare exceptions, the virus hasn’t made the jump to humans at a large enough scale to trigger an outbreak.
As with the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 that is believed to have started in animals before spreading to humans, some animal viruses can mutate, jump species to make humans sick and spread quickly around the world.
‘But highly pathogenic avian influenza is no Covid-19,’ scientists reassure.
On the implication of another epidemic, especially on efforts to contain COVID-19, Tomori, who is also former Vice Chancellor of Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, said the poultry industry in Nigeria could suffer dire consequences, if bird flu gets into the country.
To contain the menace, he noted: ‘I think now is the time for the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to get its Federal Livestock Department (FLD) and National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), Vom to be on alert.
‘Disease surveillance backed by veterinary laboratory diagnostic centres must be working with poultry farmers and the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) to rapidly detect and contain cases before spread to other farms.’
