The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) former director stated that “it’s not a question of if, it’s more of a question of when” a bird flu pandemic with “substantial mortality” in humans will occur.
Former President Donald Trump selected virologist Dr. Robert Redfield to head the CDC in 2018. On Friday, he spoke to News Nation about his and other experts’ rising concerns about the avian flu.
Redfield says the extremely contagious virus, commonly referred to as the avian flu, causes “probably somewhere between 25 and 50 percent fatality” in people.
“Unfortunately, when bird flu infects people, there is a high fatality rate.” He said the fatality rate is probably between 25 and 50 percent, so it’s going to get quite complicated.
According to the virologist, since 2017, there has been a “progressive” rise in influenza cases in birds in the United States, including chickens, ducks, and turkeys.
According to Breitbart News, Cal-Maine Foods, Inc., the biggest fresh egg producer in the United States, had to temporarily stop operations at its Texas plant in April after finding avian flu in hens.
As per the company’s statement, the Parmer County facility lost around 337,000 pullets and 1.6 million laying hens due to infection.
The CDC says the avian flu has spread to animals, infecting dozens of cattle nationwide and even some dairy farm laborers.
A 59-year-old Mexican man was the first person known to have died from the virus, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The man was bedridden for weeks before getting the virus in April, and his relatives confirmed that he had no history of exposure to chickens or other animals. He also had other underlying medical issues.
Last week, Redfield told the News Nation presenter, “I truly do think it’s quite probable that we will, at some point.” It’s not a question of if, it’s more of a question of when we will have a bird flu pandemic.” “Once the virus acquires the ability to bind to the human receptor and spread from person to person, the pandemic will occur. As I previously stated, I believe it’s only a matter of time.”
