A first human case of avian flu identified in Canada: should we be worried about a potential pandemic?

Should we be worried?

Steven Van Gucht reacted to this news with our colleagues from La Dernier Heure/Les Sports +. The Sciensano virologist indicates that the H5N1 virus must be closely monitored. “Humans can become infected, although sporadically, usually after contact with a sick bird or infected mammal. This infection is often limited to this stage, but it is a matter of a few mutations before the virus does not adapt to humans. This is an aspect that worries me a lot, because it could be the start of an epidemic or a pandemic.”, we can read.

Also questioned by our colleagues, infectious disease specialist Yves Van Laethem believes that we must be very vigilant regarding this virus: “It is currently the most dangerous potential enemy for our societies. Next to it, Covid- 19 is a small player.”

This summer, in an interview with the English newspaper The Guardian, the World Health Organization (WHO) had already expressed its concerns about the transmission of avian flu to humans. According to her, the spread of the virus within several species of mammals, particularly among domestic cattle, increases the risk of spread to humans.

Avian flu, the next global pandemic? “This virus evolves and acquires the capacity to infect humans”