Senior British health officials have said bird flu has shown a noted change within just the past three to four years compared to when the pathogen first emerged in the mid 1990s.
UK health chiefs warn that bird flu (H5N1) could trigger the next pandemic due to its increasing ability to jump between species, including recent cases in dairy cattle and a UK farmer. The UKHSA has identified bird flu as one of four high-risk pathogens that could cause a "Disease X" pandemic and is developing scenarios for early human transmission, estimating a potential 5% mortality rate. Other concerning viruses on the list include a measles-like virus and Picornaviridae, which can cause polio-like diseases.
