After the death in the USA – how prepared is Sweden against bird flu? – Aftonbladet podcast

The H5N1 bird flu continues to spread concern in the United States. In March last year, the virus was discovered in dairy cows and since then the infection has spread to at least 16 states. Now the country has had its first death, a man in his 60s who had been cared for since mid-December.
But despite the fact that the virus is rarely transmitted to humans, a 13-year-old girl in Canada also fell ill at the end of November last year. She became seriously ill and was on a ventilator for 17 days. Some scientists are now warning that bird flu is mutating faster than previously thought, and that the consequence could be a pandemic.
What does the spread of H5N1 look like in the US and the rest of the world? Could Sweden have an outbreak? And how close are we to a new pandemic?
Guest: Magnus Gisslén, state epidemiologist at the Public Health Agency and professor of infectious diseases at Sahlgrenska Academy.
Producer/Program Manager: Olivia Bengtsson.
Clips in the episode: ABC News, 6 ABC Philadelphia, CBS News.
Contact: [email protected]

TUESDAY 21 JANUARY 2025