World Health Organization (WHO) epidemiologist Richard Peabody urged to prepare for a possible new pandemic due to bird flu. His words are quoted by the Spanish edition of Pais.
Due to the fact that the bird flu virus will be transmitted from person to person, this could lead to a new pandemic, Peabody said.
“We must be on the front lines to reduce the risk of bird-to-human transmission of the virus. There are fears that the virus will acquire the ability to spread from person to person in a sustained manner and could cause a new pandemic … We must prepare for this,” – said the WHO epidemiologist.
He added that the scientific community is studying the genetic sequencing of avian influenza viruses to monitor them and create affordable vaccines in case they are needed.
The specialist pointed out that a new outbreak of bird flu, which destroyed millions of wild and domestic birds across the planet, began two to three years ago due to a special type of virus A (H5N1).
In addition, Richard Peabody urged people not to pick up dead or dying birds or other animals, but also to provide poultry workers with all the necessary protection.