Experts Warn Bird Flu Could Spark Pandemic Worse Than COVID-19 if Virus Mutates

Paris — Scientists are raising alarms over the bird flu virus, warning that a mutation enabling human-to-human transmission could trigger a pandemic potentially more severe than COVID-19. While human cases remain rare, the risk underscores the urgent need for vigilance and preparedness, according to France’s Institut Pasteur.

admin

Nov 28, 2025 - 14:53

0 0

Experts Warn Bird Flu Could Spark Pandemic Worse Than COVID-19 if Virus Mutates

Marie-Anne Rameix-Welti, medical director of the Institut Pasteur’s Respiratory Infections Centre, told Reuters that the highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5 bird flu) is spreading among wild birds, poultry, and mammals. “What we fear is the virus adapting to mammals, and particularly to humans, becoming capable of human-to-human transmission, and that virus would be a pandemic virus,” she said.

Unlike seasonal flu strains such as H1 and H3, humans have no pre-existing antibodies against H5 bird flu, making the population highly vulnerable if a transmissible strain emerges. Unlike COVID-19, bird flu could also seriously affect healthy individuals, including children, according to Rameix-Welti.

Current Threat and Precautions

So far, human infections have been rare, mostly arising from close contact with infected birds. Tens of millions of poultry have been culled globally in recent years to contain outbreaks, creating disruptions in food supply chains and driving up prices.

Preventative measures are underway: multiple vaccine candidates are being tested, and antiviral drug stockpiles exist to curb potential outbreaks. The World Organisation for Animal Health has noted that while the risk of a human pandemic remains low, monitoring and rapid response remain crucial.

The Institut Pasteur, known for its early role in developing COVID-19 detection tests shared globally, continues to emphasize early detection, research, and public health preparedness as key to mitigating potential threats from bird flu.

“Preparedness is our best defense,” Rameix-Welti stressed. “We have the tools, knowledge, and protocols to act swiftly if a mutation occurs, but vigilance is essential.”