Bird Flu has resurfaced and triggered another pandemic, a teenager in British Columbia, Canada is seriously ill with bird flu called H5N1. This case is the first case that marks the spread of the virus to humans in the country.
Even though the teenager did not have direct contact with birds or other livestock, the source of the infection from the virus is still unknown. This has caused a spike in infections that have also appeared in the US, raising concern about the potential for a pandemic.
The teenager, whose identity and age have not been disclosed, is still in critical condition with acute respiratory distress because her test results tested positive for the H5N1 bird flu virus, which is a new type of virus in Canada.
It was reported that the teenager had never been exposed to any health problems and was always in good health before the disease occurred. British Columbia provincial health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry gave his official statement.
Dr. Bonnie Henry stated that the teenager often interacted with pets such as dogs, cats, and reptiles. However, the reason behind the disease has not been found until now.
The Public Health Agency of Canada has confirmed that the teenager has the H5N1 type of bird flu. As a result of this outbreak, several large countries such as the United States have also been hit by this new type of bird flu virus where 46 human infections have been reported this year in several states such as California, Colorado, and Texas.
Getting to Know the H5N1 Type of Bird Flu Virus Variant
Bird flu is also called avian influenza which primarily attacks birds, but can also infect other animals and humans. 1997 was the first year that the H5N1 subtype of avian influenza virus infected several people.
The H5N1 case has become a severe outbreak in birds worldwide but this virus is relatively less dangerous to humans because it cannot be transmitted directly from one person to another.
Dr. Amesh Adalja of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security said that H5N1 is not the most dangerous type of bird flu and has zero risk, but for bird flu types, H5N1 has a lower risk than other types of viruses.
A virus threat expert at Columbia University, Dr. Ian Lipkin said the virus could potentially evolve to become more contagious, but that has not happened yet.
Experts React to the Possibility of a Pandemic Again
Experts agree that the possibility of a pandemic caused by H5N1 is still small because this type of virus is very difficult to transmit from person to person. Dr. Amesh Adalja said another type of virus, H7N9, is a very urgent problem. H7N9 was first reported in humans in China in 2013 and has caused severe disease in people who have been infected with it.
For the H5N1 type of bird flu, Dr. Amish Adalja emphasized that proactive measures are better than imposing a lockdown if the virus is proven to be a serious health threat such as a pandemic.
One example of preventing a serious health threat such as a pandemic is a more tactical approach that includes better testing of livestock. And for now H5N1 is not a serious health threat.