As the media ramp up concerns about a potential H5N1 bird flu pandemic, some analysts questioned the motives behind the alarmist narratives, pointing to the financial incentives of vaccine manufacturers and controversial U.S. government-funded gain-of-function research on the virus.
Growing concerns about the potential for a devastating bird flu pandemic are driving increased media coverage, including claims that bird flu could be “100 times worse than Covid.”
But a closer examination suggests the level of alarm may be premature, and some argue that fearmongering is motivated by profit.
In recent weeks, cases of the H5N1 avian influenza virus — also known as “highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A” — have been detected in wild birds, poultry, a variety of mammals including cats and dolphins, and a small number of humans.
The reporting has sparked fears that the virus could mutate to enable efficient transmission between people, according to news outlets like The New York Times and Daily Mail.
Top U.S. health officials like Dr. Mandy Cohen, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), say they are taking the situation “very seriously” and monitoring for signs of the virus mutating as it spreads to new animal reservoirs like cattle.
However, other experts urge a more measured perspective, pointing out that critical pieces of evidence — like proof of mammal-to-mammal or human-to-human transmission — have not yet materialized.
“It’s not even a ‘new strain’ fiasco like the Covid hysteria days,” journalist Jordan Schachtel wrote on his Substack “The Dossier.” “In fact, the very strain being discussed has been around for decades.”
Dr. Céline Gounder, KFF Health News’ senior fellow and editor-at-large for public health, last week downplayed concerns about infectivity to humans on “CBS Mornings.” She pointed out that the person who reportedly contracted bird flu only had “a very mild case” of conjunctivitis.
“And that’s important to emphasize because it’s not in the lungs,” Gounder said. “It’s not pneumonia, which would make it easier to transmit from person to person.” She pointed out that contagiousness seems to be limited to those directly working with infected animals.
As media outlets ramp up ominous headlines and speculative reporting, some analysts are raising questions about the motives and incentives fueling the bird flu hype — from vaccine industry profits to controversial government-funded virus research to efforts to disrupt the food supply.
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