Mammals get infected with bird flu virus, humans are also at risk – Joop

Mammals are also infected with it bird flu virus. This is evident from the figures that Fidelity He has made. This means that people are also at risk of contracting the virus. A variant may develop in mammals to which humans are more susceptible. “In the long run, this could pose a risk to humans,” says virologist Thijs Kuiken.

A skunk, a badger and an otter have all been infected with the virus in the past year. According to Kuiken, this is just the tip of the iceberg. “Either way, the figures show that a large number of mammals are susceptible and that infection occurs regularly.”

Although the virus, according to Kuiken, originally started in the poultry industry, wild birds have also been infected around the world for a number of years. This makes it difficult to control the virus. Mammals, in turn, become infected by eating infected birds.

This is different with humans. “People don’t get infected by eating infected animals, they get infected by coming into contact with infected birds,” says Kuiken. According to him, it’s less common in Europe than in countries like China, where chickens are sold live at the market and slaughtered there. “This is where the contamination occurs,” says Kuiken.

The spread of the virus can be stopped by vaccinating poultry. This has already been done in some places and this is also the plan in Europe. “This also reduces the possibility of the virus passing to humans.”