Rapid Spread of Bird Flu Raises Concerns of Next Global Pandemic, WHO Says Vaccines Could Be Ready in Less Than Half a Year

The rapid spread of bird flu In recent years, fears have increased that this virus could be the the next global pandemicalthough the influenza prevention chief at the World Health Organization (WHO) confirms in an interview with EFE that the world is better prepared than before covid and could even be vaccines in less than half a year.

“He would take between three and four months “From when the pandemic started until the first doses were available on the market,” he said. Zhang Wenqingwho has led WHO’s global influenza prevention program for 12 years,

Clarify that It is no longer possible to prepare these vaccinesbecause they must be based on the latest version of the virus, the one that causes a pandemic.

It is certain that its genetic composition would be different from that currently circulating in nature, especially in migratory birds and increasingly in mammals such as seals, mink, sea lions, foxes and more recently also domestic species such as dogs or cats.

“Countries like the United States collect vaccines based on it older versions of the H5N1 virus (cause of bird flu) which could be used firstas first doses to buy time until others are released with updated content and based on new versions,” Zhang said.

From 2020, a new evolution of bird fluH5N1 2.3.4.4B, has spread rapidly through the migratory birds reported across the Americas and more and more cases have been recorded in mammals, including cattle and goats on farms in the United States.

Last April, the This disease first spread from mammals to humans (the dairy farm worker in Texas) and the fact that the virus was found in the milk of infected cows has raised concern, although the WHO for now maintains the H5N1 epidemic risk at “low . “

“Since 2021, there have been reports 28 cases in humansand 13 of these belong to type 2.3.4.4B,” recalled Zhang. Among these 13 cases, two have been confirmed in Spain, one in Chile and another in Ecuador.

Since the first cases in humans were recorded 20 years ago, some 900 infected and in more than half of the patients diedalthough the specialist asked to take into account the possibility that only the most serious cases, requiring hospitalization, were detected.

Another possible explanation for so many deaths is that “for now an animal virus that tends to bind to human receptors in the lower part of the respiratory system (lungs), which is why it usually causes a severe form of the disease such as pneumonia. “

In general, the expert emphasizes, the world would be relatively ready to reach mass thought of bird flu to humans, a species to which the H5N1 virus, he said, is trying to adapt.

“The virus is putting increasing pressure, try to jump the gender barrier and set themselves among the people. Every time it affects a person it is an effort,” Zhang said.

The epidemiologist recommended that people at risk of getting bird flu, such as farm workers, get the regular seasonal flu vaccine.

Although in principle this would not protect against the first of these diseases, it would It would reduce the risk of the two viruses co-existing in the same human organism, creating a potential breeding ground for future dangerous mutations.

The spread of the bird flu virus to the Americas and to different species of mammals occurred in a few years (from 2020 to 2022) in which a warning for influenza pathogens has been reduced on the planetfirstly because of the mandatory attention to covid but also because preventive measures will reduce the spread of seasonal flu to the minimum.

Despite this, Zhang said, the world is better prepared for eventual pandemics such as those caused by bird flu due to the experiences provided by covid-19, as well as new tools such as messenger RNA vaccines was created to fight the coronavirus, and which in his opinion could be adapted against the flu virus.