Deadly H5N1 Spreads Globally: Experts Fear Pandemic 100x Worse Than COVID

New Delhi: World is getting extremely close to a virus which has the potential to cause a pandemic worse than COVID-19.  Bird flu also known as H5N1 strain  present a significant threat of an outbreak and can spread aggressively which might lead to high rate of casualties. 

According to the experts, H5N1 strain is 'dangerously close' to activating a global pandemic. 

The situation came to light when the bird flu has now spread to dairy cattle herds across six states in the US. According to an expert  by UK’s Dailymail tabloid issued a warning that the HN51 outbreak could be “100 times worse than” Covid.

Dr Suresh Kuchipudi, a bird flu researcher in Pittsburgh, said at a briefing that and now we are getting "dangerously close" to the potentially causing the pandemic. 

He added that the H5N1 flu can trigger a pandemic due to it capability to infect vast range of mammals including humans. 

He further added that its high time we are all prepared as we are talking about a virus that is globally present. 

John Fulton, a pharmaceutical industry consultant for vaccines and founder of Canada-based company BioNiagara, said that this is a virus that has the greatest pandemic threat [that is] playing out in plain sight and is globally present.

" This appears to be 100 times worse than Covid, or it could be if it mutates and maintains its high case fatality rate," he added.

What is H5N1? 

H5N1 is sub-variant if Avian influenza A, stated a report by Live Science. Influenza A is a group related bird flue viruses. It is regarded as highly pathogenic because it causes adverse and often deadly illness in poultry. 

It mainly effects birds, H5N1 can also effect wild birds and occassionally amammalsm including humans, In non-bird species, teh disease can be fatal, but some cases may show so symptoms or mild symptoms.