Bird flu ‘has potential to become pandemic’, health officials warn

The H5N1 strain of bird flu has the “potential to become a pandemic” - (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

The H5N1 strain of bird flu has the “potential to become a pandemic”, according to a director at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

While the virus itself is not new and the current risk to the public remains low, Richard Pebody, director of epidemic and emerging infections at UKHSA, highlighted concerning changes in the virus's characteristics in recent years.