How dangerous is Bird Flu really? Well, I attempted to find on a recent podcast and I hope you tune in! :)
On a recent episode of Causes or Cures, I had the pleasure of sitting down with international infectious disease expert Dr. Eskild Petersen to discuss the current bird flu outbreak. Dr. Petersen provides an overview of the history of influenza and the origins of avian influenza (bird flu), shedding light on the ongoing outbreak in animals and its unexpected detection in cows. He explores the science behind the receptors bird flu binds to, explains the differences in these receptors between humans and animals, and highlights how they play a crucial role in determining the severity of infections and the potential for human-to-human transmission. (As of now, there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission.) Finally, he outlines actionable steps for prevention, early treatment strategies, and shares his perspective on the current level of concern.
Dr. Petersen has quite the bio! He is a Professor Emeritus of infectious diseases, Institute for Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Science, Aarhus University, Denmark, and is a member of the PandemiX Center of Excellence at Roskilde University, Denmark. He served as chair of the European Society of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Emerging Infections Task Force, Basel, Switzerland and is internationally renowned for his contributions to global health, travel medicine and emerging infections. He worked at the Danish national public health institute, Statens Serum Institut, from 1989 to 2003 after which he returned to clinical work in hospitals and treating patients with infectious disease. He served as Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Infectious Diseases from 2012 to 2022 and is now Editor-in-Chief of IJID Regions. Professor Petersen has authored several textbooks, including “Infectious Disease: a Geographic Guide” now published by Routlege in its 3rd edition.
I’ll admit that some of the things discussed in the episode might be too “sciency” for folks who aren’t in medicine or public health, BUT I purposely repeated certain things and asked clarifying questions to drive home the important points. By the end of it, or even somewhere in the middle, you should be able to gage how dangerous is bird flu. So there’s that. :) Overall, I think the episode was a calm, intellectual discussion in a storm of panicked social media posts and alarmist headlines.
Speaking of panicked posts…the media repeats that “52%” is the “mortality rate” for bird flu. That can scare a lot of people, but here’s the thing: definitions and the stories behind the numbers are just as vital to understanding the epidemiology of a disease as the number itself. Further, the 52% isn’t a true mortality rate, it’s a case fatality rate. I explain this in a recent Youtube video using some supplies from my kitchen. I hope you watch it! And I hope the media starts to include the stories behind the reported numbers. It can only help improve science and health literacy.
So how dangerous is bird flu? Listen to that podcast episode HERE.
If bird flu isn’t your jam, you can check out this podcast on why you should hold off on a standing desk if you are struggling with high blood pressure.
Of course, there are countless other Causes or Cures episodes to check out, and I encourage you to do so!