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Bird flu, or the H5N1 virus, is primarily spread between wild birds and in rare cases, can be spread to humans who had contact with sick birds — at least until recently. Since late March, three people in the U.S. have tested positive for bird flu they contracted from sick cows. While their flu-like symptoms were mild, scientists are alarmed that the virus is now spreading among mammals.
"There hasn't been an indication that the current version of the bird flu can move easily from a dairy cow to a person and then person-to-person," says Mary Kay O'Neill, clinical services consultant at Mercer. "But flu viruses change and mutate all the time, and employers will need to be able to address the risk of people getting it from other people."
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Notably, a recent study published in Nature found that H5N1 has adapted to attacking mammal sialic acid receptors, which are found in the upper respiratory tract of humans. As the virus continues to mutate, scientific and healthcare groups agree there's a possibility of a new pandemic. In fact, bird flu vaccine production is already underway at Moderna. While O'Neill acknowledges no one wants to think about a new pandemic, especially as COVID cases and hospitalizations spike, she urges employers to make a plan rather than let themselves be taken off guard again.
"It's really an emergency preparedness drill," says O'Neill. "Figure who should be at meetings, what resources you have and hygienic measures you should take. Can people work from home to decrease the spread? Can you request people comply with measures like masks?"
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If the company had a COVID taskforce, it may be time to get them together again and consider what possible protective measures may be relevant in the event of another pandemic, suggests O'Neill. For example, a hybrid work structure as well as HEPA filters to clean the air can help employees avoid getting sick in general and set up the foundation for a more resilient workplace. If there is a bird flu outbreak among people, employers should be prepared to act, whether that means sending people home or enforcing stricter sanitation and masking policies.
While it's a rough estimate, the bird flu fatality rate rests around 50% globally, according to the World Health Organization. For the sake of public safety and business operations, O'Neill advises employers to pay attention to any developments around the H5N1 virus.
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"People need to think through the lessons they learned from [COVID]," she says. "It's hard because I don't want to say, 'This terrible thing is going to happen,' because we don't know for sure. That doesn't mean we shouldn't be prepared."
