A rise in mammals infected with bird flu has put Canadian wildlife and public health experts on alert, as recent research by federal scientists warns of a 'potentially devastating pandemic' if the virus tearing through poultry flocks eventually mutat
A rise in mammals infected with bird flu has put Canadian wildlife and public health experts on alert, as recent research by federal scientists warns of a "potentially devastating pandemic" if the virus tearing through poultry flocks eventually mutates to spread efficiently between humans.
While cases in mammals are to be expected during a bird flu outbreak, Mubareka said part of what's captured the attention of scientists is the range of species infected. "The spillover of these viruses from wild birds to mammals could cause a potentially devastating pandemic if the H5N1 viruses mutate into forms that can spread efficiently among the mammalian species," read the paper, published in the peer-reviewed journal Emerging Microbes & Infections.
Shayan Sharif, professor and acting dean at the Ontario Veterinary College, said he is most concerned about the possibility that the virus is going to change to the point where it becomes more dangerous to humans and gains the capacity for human-to-human transmission. The U.S. Centre for Disease Control said it recently produced a candidate vaccine virus for H5N1 that could be used to produce a vaccine for people, if needed.
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'Potentially devastating': Bird flu cases in mammals put Canadian scientists on alertA rise in mammals infected with bird flu has put Canadian wildlife and public health experts on alert, as recent research by federal scientists warns of a 'potentially devastating pandemic' if the virus tearing through poultry flocks eventually mutates to spread efficiently between humans.
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