After increasing numbers of cases of bird flu among mammals, the WHO is now warning that the virus poses a risk to humans.
Björn Olsen, professor of infectious diseases says that we are dealing with a “completely new scenario” – which risks having serious consequences.
– The longer it is allowed to circulate among people, the greater the risk of it becoming a future pandemic virus, he tells TV4 Nyheterna.
Recently, the number of cases of animals infected with bird flu has increased. In addition to chickens and wild birds, foxes, dogs and cats have also been affected by the virus. In mid-May, several cases among foxes had been confirmed in Sweden, according to the State Veterinary Institute, SVA.
On Wednesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the increased number of outbreaks of bird flu among mammals poses a risk to humans.
Can adapt to people
“The increasing number of detections of H5N1 among mammals, which are biologically closer to humans than birds, raises concerns that the virus may adapt to infect humans more easily,” the organization writes in a press release.
The WHO also states that the virus is at risk of developing and that new viruses that are more harmful to animals and humans are emerging.
Björn Olsen, professor of infectious diseases, emphasizes that the situation is serious.
– This is a completely new phenomenon, that both dogs, cats and other mammals become infected. It shows that the virus is capable of spreading across species boundaries, he says.
– It has become significantly more aggressive. Because it spreads between different mammals, the risk that it could spread to humans increases.
Risk of future pandemic virus
The number of cases of bird flu among humans is extremely unusual, according to Björn Olsen. He states that these are isolated cases. The risk of death if people become infected is very high.
In 25 years, approximately 1,000 people have been infected. 500 of them have died.
– There are no signs that it is contagious from person to person. But the longer it is allowed to circulate among people, the greater the risk of it becoming a future pandemic virus. It is a scenario that we absolutely do not want, he says.
Threats to biodiversity
Bird flu among poultry in Sweden has become very common, according to Björn Olsen.
– What is even worse is that it has taken hold among wild birds. We have the virus continuously circulating among wild birds, he says.
The professor states that the infection is a major threat to biological diversity.
– We will probably lose many bird species in Sweden because of the virus. It’s a really troublesome virus, unfortunately.