New pandemic on horizon? ‘Just a matter of time’ before bird flu engulfs U.S., ex-CDC director warns

Robert Redfield, ex-director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, predicts a bird flu pandemic is inevitable.

During an interview Friday with NewsNation, he highlighted the rising apprehension regarding bird flu, which has been detected in numerous cattle across the U.S. and has led to the first human fatality in Mexico, according to the World Health Organization.

“I really do think … it’s not a question of if, it’s more of a question of when we will have a bird flu pandemic,” Mr. Redfield said.

He further noted that bird flu carries a “significant mortality rate” in humans, higher than that of COVID-19. Mr. Redfield estimates the mortality rate for bird flu to be 25% to 50%, whereas COVID-19’s death rate stands at 0.6%.

In late May, the CDC reported the third human case of bird flu since March. The three cases, all involving farmworkers, were not linked. Symptoms included a cough without fever and conjunctivitis, or pink eye.

Currently, there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission of the virus. Mr. Redfield, who has conducted lab research on the subject, explained the conditions necessary for such transmission.

“When the virus acquires the ability to attach to human receptors and transmit between humans, that’s when a pandemic will ensue,” he said. “It’s just a matter of time.”