RFK suggests letting the bird flu spread

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has suggested letting the avian flu virus spread freely in US poultry farms, which are currently facing a major epidemic.

The US Secretary of Health stated on Fox News that farmers “should consider maybe the possibility of letting it run through the flock so that we can identify the birds, and preserve the birds, that are immune to it,” estimating that this would make it easier to identify birds with ‘natural immunity’.

The proposal has sparked strong reactions among experts, with several deeming it a threat to public health.

For her part, Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins, supported the idea put forward by RFK Jr. on managing this bird flu, suggesting the implementation of pilot projects with volunteer farmers to assess their feasibility.

According to experts, letting the virus spread freely would increase the opportunities for mutation, which would increase the risk of the emergence of more dangerous or contagious strains, as well as the possibility of human-to-human transmission.

Since 2024, the H5N1 virus has infected nearly 70 people in the United States, with a first death reported in Louisiana.

Avian flu H5N1 was first detected in 1996 in China, then emerged in a troubling way in 1997 in Hong Kong, causing the first human cases.

In the early 2000s, the virus spread across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa, prompting global concern.

Fearing a pandemic, the affected countries have deployed emergency measures: mass slaughter of poultry, market closures, awareness, biosafety reinforcement and trade restrictions. RFK Jr.’s statements put in jeopardy years of rigorous efforts to contain the virus and prevent a new health crisis.

Thanks to international coordination and increased vigilance, the epidemic has been gradually contained, even if the virus has remained endemic in some regions among birds. Vigilance remains necessary, as H5N1 continues to evolve and infect animal species, representing a potential threat to public health.

Since 2003, the H5N1 virus has caused 860 confirmed human cases worldwide, resulting in 454 deaths, a mortality rate of 53%, according to the WHO. Although the epidemic has been contained thanks to enhanced surveillance, the virus remains endemic in birds and still poses a threat to public health.