A controversial proposal by top U.S. officials has stirred concern across the poultry industry. Instead of culling birds infected with the deadly H5N1 bird flu, federal leaders like Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins have floated the idea of allowing the virus to spread freely through poultry flocks.
The plan, they argue, could help farmers naturally select birds with immunity to the virus. “Identify the birds, and preserve the birds, that are immune to it,” Kennedy said during a Fox News interview in March.
But scientists are warning this approach could backfire — badly.
In a new article published July 3 in the prestigious journal Science, a group of virologists, veterinarians, and public health experts called the hands-off strategy not only scientifically flawed but also potentially catastrophic. Allowing the H5N1 virus to spread unchecked could increase the chances of the virus jumping to humans, the group warned — a risk that could ignite the next global pandemic.
So far, the current outbreak of H5N1 has devastated poultry farms and even spread to mammals, including dairy cattle and a few humans. Though human-to-human transmission remains rare, the virus’s ability to mutate quickly makes it a serious threat.
For poultry farmers — especially smallholders — the debate isn’t just scientific. It’s personal. Culling flocks means major losses, but letting a highly contagious virus sweep through could wipe out entire operations and put farm workers at risk.
As the U.S. weighs its next steps, global experts urge caution. “This is not just a poultry problem,” the authors wrote. “This is a public health emergency waiting to happen.”
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