France’s Institut Pasteur has warned that the bird flu virus spreading among wild birds, poultry, and mammals could lead to a pandemic worse than Covid-19 if it mutates for human-to-human transmission.
Marie-Anne Rameix-Welti, medical director at Institut Pasteur’s respiratory infections centre, said the virus adapting to humans would make it highly dangerous, potentially affecting both healthy individuals and vulnerable populations, unlike Covid-19.
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Unlike seasonal flu, people have no antibodies against the H5 bird flu strains circulating in birds and mammals, making them particularly susceptible to infection if human transmission emerges.
Human infections remain rare, but recent developments are concerning. The first case of H5N5 in a human was reported in Washington, US, this month, resulting in the patient’s death due to underlying health conditions.
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Despite nearly 1,000 outbreaks reported between 2003 and 2025, mainly in Egypt, Indonesia, and Vietnam, experts say the probability of a human pandemic is still low, though early preparation remains crucial.
Rameix-Welti highlighted that, compared to Covid-19, the world is now better prepared with vaccine candidates, antiviral stocks, and rapid manufacturing capabilities to respond effectively if bird flu were to mutate for human transmission.