Experts warn mutating bird flu could spark severe pandemic, though risk remains low
A top French infectious-disease expert warns that the H5 bird flu virus could trigger a pandemic more severe than COVID-19 if it mutates to spread easily between humans. For now, such transmission remains rare and linked to direct contact with infected animals.
Marie-Anne Rameix-Welti of France’s Institut Pasteur said the highly pathogenic H5 strain is dangerous because humans have no natural immunity. Nearly 1,000 human infections have been reported since 2003, with a fatality rate of 48%, according to the World Health Organization.
The virus has already devastated global bird populations and spread to several mammal species. Recent cases include the first recorded human H5N5 infection in the United States.
Despite the warning, global health agencies say the likelihood of sustained human-to-human spread remains low. “You can happily walk in the forest, eat chicken and eggs and enjoy your life,” said Gregorio Torres of the World Organization for Animal Health.
Experts note the world is better prepared than in 2020, with vaccine candidates and antiviral stockpiles already in place.
As the virus continues circulating widely, scientists remain alert — but stress that a human pandemic is still a low-probability scenario.
