Can Bird flu or Avian flu, also better known as H5N1, cause a pandemic-like situation globally?
An expert team from India might have cracked the code. Researchers Philip Cherian and Gautam Menon of Ashoka University used technology to explain what would happen if a bird flu outbreak happened in a real-life scenario and what can be done to stop it.
What is bird flu?
As per the Cleveland Clinic, Bird flu (avian influenza) is an infection from a type of influenza (flu) virus that usually spreads in birds and other animals. Sometimes, humans can get bird flu from infected animals.
As per the World Health Organisation (WHO), from early 2003 to August 25, 2025, 990 human cases of avian influenza A(H5N1) were reported to the organisation, including 475 deaths (48 per cent fatality rate), in 25 countries worldwide.
"Our simulations of a potential H5N1 epidemic originating in a spillover to humans use an agent-based approach for disease spread in the human population," stated the study.
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The researchers mentioned how their model, which uses BharatSim, an agent-based simulation framework developed for India, describes the two-step nature of outbreak initiation, showing how crucial epidemiological parameters governing transmission can be calibrated given data for the distribution of the number of primary and secondary cases at early times.
What are the symptoms of bird flu?
As per the NHS, symptoms of bird flu in humans usually start around 4 to 6 days after being in contact with an infected bird.
These symptoms can be mild or severe and include:
- high temperature, or feeling hot, cold or shivery
- cough
- sore throat
- runny or blocked nose
- wheezing and sneezing
- shortness of breath
- red, irritated eyes (conjunctivitis)
For more information, consult a health expert.