In a stark and unsettling revelation, Dr. Robert Redfield, the former CDC Director under President Donald Trump, has sounded the alarm on a potential bird flu pandemic that could have catastrophic consequences. During an interview with NewsNation, Redfield expressed his grave concerns about the likelihood of a highly lethal bird flu outbreak, propelled by controversial gain-of-function research.
Dr. Redfield’s warning is not based on mere speculation but on a troubling trajectory observed in recent years. Since 2019, there has been a marked increase in bird flu cases among poultry, such as chickens, ducks, and turkeys. More distressingly, the virus has now spread to 27 mammalian species in the United States, including animals like dolphins, seals, bears, raccoons, and even domestic cats. This cross-species transmission underscores the virus’s adaptability and potential threat to humans.
“Unfortunately, bird flu, when it does enter humans, has a significant mortality rate, probably somewhere between 25%-50%,” Redfield stated, highlighting the deadly nature of the virus. He emphasized that the virus’s ability to jump from one species to another, coupled with its increasing range of hosts, is a precursor to it eventually gaining the ability to transmit efficiently among humans.
Redfield’s anxiety stems from the historical precedent set by laboratory experiments conducted in 2012. Scientists, through gain-of-function research, identified five critical amino acid changes that would allow bird flu to bind to human receptors, thus making human-to-human transmission feasible. This research was published despite Redfield’s objections, essentially providing a “recipe” for creating a highly infectious strain of bird flu.
“The recipe for how to make bird flu highly infectious for humans is already out there,” Redfield remarked, pointing to the tangible threat posed by these scientific findings. He elaborated on how the virus is learning to exploit different receptors in various animals, inching closer to human compatibility.
The former CDC Director’s alarm is not just about natural evolution but also about the deliberate manipulation of viruses in labs. “I’m much more concerned that this will happen in the laboratory, through gain-of-function research. I can create this virus, literally in weeks to months by using gain-of-function research,” he said, underscoring the urgent need for stringent oversight and regulation of such experiments.
Redfield’s comments come at a time when confidence in global health governance remains fragile, particularly after the COVID pandemic. The implications of his warning are vast, calling for immediate action to prevent the potential misuse of scientific knowledge that could lead to devastating pandemics.
As policymakers and health officials grapple with these revelations, the crucial question remains: Are we prepared to face another pandemic, potentially deadlier than COVID? The urgency of addressing gain-of-function research and enhancing biosecurity measures cannot be overstated.
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