Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has a radical new idea for dealing with the bird flu crisis: just let it spread.
Speaking to Fox News this week, the US Health and Human Services Secretary suggested allowing the virus to rip through poultry flocks to see which birds survive.
“They should consider maybe the possibility of letting it run through the flocks so that we can identify the birds, and preserve the birds, that are immune to it,” he said.
It’s a bold suggestion, but experts warn it could have catastrophic consequences.
🐓 A death sentence for poultry
Bird flu, or H5N1, isn’t just a mild illness—it’s almost always fatal in chickens and turkeys. Infected birds suffer from severe respiratory distress, swelling, and loss of coordination before they die.
Right now, the recommended approach is to cull infected flocks as quickly as possible. It’s brutal, but experts argue it’s the most humane and effective way to stop the spread.
If the virus is left to run rampant, millions more birds could die, and the risk of it mutating into something even deadlier increases dramatically.
🤝 US agriculture officials aren’t ruling it out
Interestingly, Kennedy isn’t alone in entertaining this risky idea. Brooke Rollins, the US Agriculture Secretary, has also floated the idea of a controlled outbreak.
According to The New York Times, she’s considering a pilot programme where flocks are deliberately exposed within a secure perimeter to see which birds survive. Those that do could be used to breed naturally immune poultry.
However, scientists warn this could backfire spectacularly.
🦠 The human risk—could bird flu mutate?
So far, 166 million birds have been culled to stop the spread, but the virus has already jumped to dairy cows—a worrying sign.
While human infections are rare, they can happen. In the US, one person has died from H5N1 after close contact with infected animals.
The biggest fear? Mutation.
As viruses spread, they evolve. The more H5N1 spreads, the greater the chance it mutates into a form that spreads between humans. Right now, there’s no human-to-human transmission, but if that changes, the consequences could be devastating.
Scientists estimate H5N1 has a 50% fatality rate in humans—far deadlier than COVID-19.
⚠️ Experts sound the alarm
Dr Scott Gottlieb, a former FDA commissioner, slammed the idea of letting the virus spread.
“Hens bred for maximum egg production tend to have inherently fragile immune systems,” he explained in an op-ed.
“Worse, permitting unchecked transmission could inadvertently incubate viral mutations, potentially transforming the outbreak into an even more dangerous threat.”
Meanwhile, HHS officials have tried to clarify Kennedy’s comments. A spokesperson said he was simply pointing out that culling puts people at risk, as it involves close contact with infected birds.
Their official stance? “Culling is not the solution. Strong biosecurity is.”
🏁 So, what’s next?
For now, culling infected flocks remains the best way to control the outbreak. But with top officials openly considering a different approach, the debate is far from over.
One thing’s certain: if bird flu mutates into a human pandemic, we’ll all wish they’d played it safe.
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