Bird flu 'a ticking timebomb' for a new pandemic

If the H5N1 virus jumps into the human population and more dangerous strains emerge, it could set off a new pandemic, writes Professor Devi Sridhar

While humans have been infected by birds, they are usually workers on poultry farms and those in close contact with infected birds, and even these instances have been rare. File Photo: RollingNews.ie

Lockdowns are a horrible experience, but fortunately, they are in the past, for now — unless you’re a domestic bird. 

Since November 7, a directive has been issued in Ireland and the UK to instruct all farmers to keep their birds indoors as part of a stringent measure to stop the spread of avian flu, or the H5N1 virus.