Reuters reported on the threat of a pandemic bird flu

A mutation of the avian influenza virus can lead to a larger pandemic than COVID-19 if the pathogen is able to be transmitted between humans. This was reported on November 27 by the Reuters news agency with reference to the director of the Center for Respiratory Tract Infections at the Pasteur Institute in France, Marie-Anne Ramey-Welty.

"We fear that the virus will adapt to mammals, and especially to humans, and become capable of human-to-human transmission, and this virus will become a pandemic," Ramey-Welty said.

According to the expert, unlike the coronavirus, influenza viruses can pose a danger to healthy people, including children, since humanity lacks antibodies against the H5 strain.

At the same time, the expert noted that the world is better prepared for such a threat due to the availability of ready-made vaccine options and well-established methods of their operational production.

Earlier, on October 10, Medical Xpress magazine reported that, according to a new study, cheese products made from contaminated raw milk may contain the infectious avian influenza virus. This creates potential health risks for consumers. The study showed that raw milk cheese products contain a viable avian influenza virus if the cheese was made from infected raw milk and the pH of the cheese was between 5.8 and 6.6.

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