Experts warn bird flu poses ‘an existential threat’ to biodiversity, and a possible threat to humans

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Aug 20, 2024

Apoorva Mandavilli, a science and health journalist for The New York Times, discusses the H5N1 bird flu outbreak, dubbed an 'existential threat' to biodiversity. She outlines how the virus is impacting wildlife and the potential risks to human health. Mandavilli highlights the role of environmental degradation and industrial agriculture in exacerbating this crisis. Furthermore, she critiques U.S. pandemic response measures and underscores the urgent need for improved monitoring and vaccination strategies to combat this adaptable virus.

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Intro

00:00 • 2min

The H5N1 Outbreak and Its Implications

02:28 • 18min

Challenges in Protecting Livestock Workers During Bird Flu Outbreaks

20:06 • 2min

Analyzing U.S. Pandemic Response and Global Health Risks

21:39 • 3min

Navigating the Uncertainties of the Bird Flu Outbreak

25:00 • 2min

The current clade of H5N1 or bird flu is an "existential threat" to the world’s biodiversity, experts say. While it has infected more than 500 bird and mammal species on every continent except Australia, the number of human infections from the current clade (grouping) 2.3.4.4b is still comparatively small. U.S. dairy workers have recently become infected, and the virus could easily mutate to become more virulent, our guest says.

Joining the Mongabay Newscast to talk about it is Apoorva Mandavilli, a global health reporter for The New York Times. Mandavilli details what virologists and experts know about the human health risks associated with this latest clade, what nations are doing (or not doing) to help contain its spread, and why. She also details how environmental degradation and industrial agriculture help create the conditions for outbreaks like this to occur.

Read Sharon Guynup’s reporting on it here.

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Image Credit: Highly pathogenic avian influenza killed thousands of black-browed albatross (Thalassarche melanophris) chicks in the Falkland Islands and Islas Malvinas, where two-thirds of the entire population lives. Image © Julia Emerit and Augustin Clessin.

Time Codes

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(00:00) Introduction

(02:44) The evolution of H5N1

(05:47) Clade 2.3.4.4b

(08:21) Challenges in monitoring the spread

(11:10) What are the human health risks?

(16:34) A spotlight on industrialized animal agriculture

(18:26) A vaccination strategy?

(20:05) What lessons are we learning from other pandemics?

(23:08) The degradation of nature and the frequency of disease outbreaks

(25:57) Credits