Experts Warn of Potential Bird Flu Pandemic Worse Than COVID-19 Amid New H5N5 Human Case

Experts warn a mutating bird flu, including H5N1 and the new H5N5 strain, could trigger a pandemic worse than COVID-19 if it gains human-to-human transmissibility.

The main concern is the virus developing efficient human-to-human transmission, as current infections primarily stem from close contact with infected animals, causing extensive poultry culling.

The WHO reports nearly 1,000 human bird flu outbreaks since 2003, mainly in Egypt, Indonesia, and Vietnam, with a high 48% mortality rate among those infected.

Humans lack antibodies against H5 bird flu, similar to initial COVID-19 vulnerability, underscored by the first human H5N5 case reported this month in Washington state.

The recent H5N5 case led to a man's death last week, highlighting the virus's severity, though general flu prevention is considered more manageable than COVID-19.