Some epidemiologists, food safety experts and veterinarians worry that pets could provide a potential springboard for H5N1 bird flu to evolve into a human threat. They are warning pet owners against feeding their animals raw food.
Source: Los Angeles Times, May 30, 2024. Link. When researchers talk about their biggest bird flu fears, one that typically comes up involves and animal — like a pig — becoming simultaneously infected with an avian and human flu. This creature, now a viral mixing vessel, provides the medium for a superbug to develop — one that takes the killer genes from the bird flu and combines them with the human variety’s knack for easy infection.