The virus could mutate and become a global threat. Is this the next pandemic?

bird flu H5N1 Spread through livestock and farm workers USAwhich raises concerns that it could turn into a pandemic after what happened to COVID-19 across the planet between 2020 and 2021.

How alarming is the bird flu situation?

• Across 12 states, 145 herds of cattle and 4 infected farm workers have been identified. USA.

• Researchers fear that virus transmitted between cows through contaminated equipment, making it easier to spread.

• There is concern that virus mutate and become more infectious to mammals, including humans.

Vaccination strategies against avian influenza

vaccination This is a fundamental principle of pandemic preparation. World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed the effectiveness of existing H5N1 vaccines in livestock. The European Commission has purchased 700,000 doses of the vaccine from CSL Seqirus, with an option to buy up to 40 million more. Finland has also begun vaccinating poultry and fur farm workers.

IN USAthe Department of Health and Human Services has increased its stockpile by nearly five million additional doses of the CSL Seqirus vaccine. However, vaccine Modern drugs based on inactivated viruses grown in chicken eggs are produced slowly. For this reason scientists are developing vaccines based on mRNA technology that are faster to produce and can be tailored to attack emerging strains.

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Andrea Reyes

What is bird flu?

bird flualso known as bird flu, is Viral infection It mainly affects birds, both domestic and wild. This disease is caused by virus belonging influenza type Awhich can be classified according to their virulence of strains high or low pathogenicity.

Highly pathogenic strains such as H5N1are especially dangerous, as they can cause serious illness and high mortality in birds. Transmission virus in birds this happens through respiratory secretions and excrement, and the virus can remain viable in the environment for long periods of time, facilitating its spread.

Although bird flu It mainly affects birds, but some strains, such as H5N1 and H7N9, can infect humans. Human infection usually occurs through direct contact with infected birds, their droppings, or contaminated surfaces.

symptoms in humans They range from mild, such as fever and cough, to severe, including pneumonia and respiratory failure, with the risk of death. The main concern is the potential for mutation virus This would allow it to be transmitted efficiently between people, which could trigger a pandemic.

This information in no way replaces a diagnosis or a doctor’s prescription. It is important to consult a specialist when symptoms appear and never self-medicate.