Bird Flu is coming for You

The avian flu virus is an Influenza A virus (IAV) subtype A(H5N1) which stands for a type 5 hemagglutinin (H) protein and a type-1 neuraminidase (N) protein. In other words, influenza viruses contain not 1, but 2 immunogenic protective antigens. There are classifications of either Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza (LPAI) or High Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is based on the severity of symptoms. For more information see Kilbourne ED. “Influenza pandemics of the 20th century” Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2006 Jan [cited 2024/12/25]. http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid1201.051254

The flu epidemic of the early 1950s was H1N1 and it was nasty, I almost didn’t survive that one. But unlike you younger people, I should retain resistance to that N1 antigen. Those without that protection, and with lack of suitable vaccines (see above link), are going to have a tough time. And it is coming for you!

COVID-19 was in a hurry, taking a quick route to attack humans, using the efficient spreading capability of air travel. No need to slowly spread around the globe person to person, crossing borders, etc. Just hop a flight! At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, a group of students returned home from Wuhan to Padua, Italy, bringing the infection to Italy by air travel. So simple!

But the A(H5N1) is much more clever. It is working around the edges, taking down species after species of birds and marine mammals and human food-animals including starting to take a bite out of the other massively overpopulated animal group - cattle, being beef and dairy. Wouldn’t that be fun - destabilizing food systems, before taking on the human population! And what better time than now, when most countries have happily pushed pandemic preparedness behind them.