Avian flu is evolving but what risk does it pose to us?

The Briefing Room

BBC

News, News Commentary

4.8 • 731 Ratings

🗓️ 16 May 2024

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The H5N1 strain of avian flu isn't new. It was discovered in China in 1996. But in recent years it's started passing from mammal to mammal and it's now rife on cattle farms in the United States. How much should humans worry?

David Aaronovitch speaks to:

Professor Wendy Barclay, action medical research chair in virology at Imperial College London Kai Kupferschmidt, science journalist and molecular biologist Dr Caitlin Rivers, epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. Professor Ian Brown, avian virology group at The Pirbright Institute

Production team: Sally Abrahams, Kirsteen Knight and Ben Carter Editors: Richard Vadon and Emma Rippon Production Co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman Sound engineers: Rod Farquhar

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts.
0:09.0	In early 2023, this programme told you about an outbreak of avian flu that was killing millions of birds around the world and a lot of seals.
0:19.6	Flash forward a year, and that virus, known as H5N1, was discovered in farms across America
0:25.6	and we now know it's been passing between cows.
0:29.6	And as we learn from COVID, what happens in Animal Vegas doesn't always stay in Animal Vegas.
0:36.6	So what do scientists make of this recent development in America?
0:41.1	What, if anything, can be done about it?
0:43.1	How much should we worry?
0:44.9	And if things do get worse, how prepared are we?
0:48.2	Step inside the briefing room and together we'll find out.
0:56.5	Let's start with the basics.
0:58.5	Professor Wendy Barkley is the Action Medical Research Chair in Virology
1:02.5	at Imperial College London.
1:04.8	Wendy Barkley, last time you appeared on the programme,
1:06.8	you told us that almost all flus start as bird flu.
1:10.4	Why is that?
1:11.5	Flu is caused by this virus influenza virus.
1:15.3	It's a really happy virus, if you like, inside birds.
1:19.4	It's where all flu began, we think.
1:22.3	And there are many, many different flavours of the virus
1:25.5	in wild birds like ducks and geese all over the world.
1:30.3	Viruses are parasites, they live inside hosts.
	...

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