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New Delhi: Amidst the increasing infection of corona virus, experts have warned about bird flu. The World Animal Health Organization has said that there is a higher risk of spreading to humans due to more than one variant of bird flu in Asia and Europe.
Monique Eloitte, director general of the World Animal Health Organization, said, “This time the situation is more difficult and more risky, because we are seeing that more than one variant has appeared, which makes it difficult to control them.” He said, ‘The risk is that it is mutant or it mixes with the human flu virus, which can reach humans and then suddenly it takes on a new dimension.’
Italy most affected by bird flu
According to the Mirror report, from October to the end of December, 15 countries had reported outbreaks of bird flu in poultry, mostly the H5N1 strain. OIE data shows Italy was the worst affected in Europe with 285 outbreaks and nearly four million birds killed. Bird flu usually begins in winter, which spreads through the movement of wild birds from one place to another.
Overall, about 850 people were reported to have been infected with the H5N1 variant of bird flu, the OIE said, of whom half have died. Last year, many people were infected with the H5N6 strain in China. This raised concerns among some experts, who say that the strain that is already circulating has changed and may be more contagious to people.
However, OIE Director-General Monique Elloit stressed that most countries have learned to control outbreaks and that infection in humans will be sporadic, as bird flu is usually passed through close contact. He said, “If one, two or three people are infected then it is worrying, but it will depend on how people have been infected.”
