According to Russian immunologist Nikolai Kryuchkov, bird flu is the main candidate for a new, highly dangerous pandemic, due to a dangerous evolution of the virus, giving it the ability to transmit from person to person.
The scientist said in an interview with Lenta.ru: “In practice, bird flu infection is not usually transmitted from one person to another. But this is a new serotype of the virus. That is, there will be a breakdown in the barrier between species, so the transmission of infection from one person to another easily is now only a matter of time.” ".
According to him, in recent years, the breach between the species barrier has increased. As a rule, such cases are recorded on poultry farms, but not only. Because there is currently a continuous increase in the number of infected people, which indicates the development of influenza infection.
“The problem is that the population is not prepared for new serotypes,” he says. “There is no prior immunity. As a rule, new serotypes are more lethal and pathogenic than those we are already familiar with. So when the active spread of infection begins, its consequences will be more serious than with the usual influenza.”
Kryuchkov believes that bird flu is the prime candidate for infection that could cause a new global pandemic. Because a breach of the species barrier is inevitable and could happen soon.
An outbreak of a new, highly contagious strain of H5N1 bird influenza had previously been announced at a poultry farm in Belgium. To prevent the epidemic, specialists had to slaughter 20.1 thousand chickens.
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