The danger of bird flu mixing with human flu? A potential pandemic

As cases of seasonal influenza surge, health officials are closely monitoring a growing threat—the potential fusion of human and bird flu strains.

As cases of seasonal influenza surge, health officials are closely monitoring a growing threat — the potential fusion of human and bird flu strains.

This is because if the viruses mix, it could give rise to a highly-contagious and deadly new pathogen, sparking fears of a global pandemic.

Influenza cases have been on the rise in Canada in recent weeks, alongside reports of avian flu infecting birds such as Canadian geese. And as spring migration brings more birds into the country, they may potentially carry the avian flu virus with them.

The more human flu that is out there, the more probable it is that the virus could mix with the bird flu and create a new virus that has “pandemic potential,” explained Matthew Miller, director of DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research at McMaster University.

He added that a bird flu pandemic is currently being prevented by its limited ability to spread from human to human.

“However, seasonal flu obviously spreads very well from human to human. The concern is that if an avian flu and a human flu were to mix their genetic material, the avian flu might maintain the severe disease that it causes but gain the ability to spread well between humans the way that seasonal flu can,” he said.

Currently, the human risk of bird flu remains low, but the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) said every time the virus jumps to a new species, it raises the risk.

Human infection with avian influenza is rare and usually occurs after close contact with infected birds, other infected animals or highly contaminated environments.