Health

Experts Sound Alarm: RFK's Bird Flu Strategy Could Trigger Pandemic

2025-07-03

Author: Jia

High-ranking federal officials are considering a controversial proposal to allow bird flu to run rampant in poultry farms across the U.S., a move experts warn could ignite a new pandemic.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the Secretary of Health and Human Services, alongside Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, has suggested that instead of culling infected birds, farmers should let the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus circulate through flocks. This approach, they argue, would allow farmers to identify and preserve birds that are immune.

However, a team of virologists and health security experts published a perspective piece in *Science*, stating that this strategy might be both ineffective and dangerously shortsighted. Erin Sorrell, a virologist at Johns Hopkins, emphasized that such a strategy would enhance the virus's ability to mutate and potentially jump to humans, creating a severe public health crisis.

The Bird Flu Crisis

Since January 2022, the H5N1 strain of avian influenza has wreaked havoc across the United States, infecting over 174 million birds and causing drastic rises in egg prices due to mass culling of infected flocks. While primarily a threat to birds, the virus has also made its way into 48 mammal species, including seals and polar bears, amplifying fears of cross-species transmission.

Although current human cases have mostly involved farm workers and the CDC maintains a low overall risk to the public, experts stress the importance of vigilance as the virus continues to evolve.

Federal Response and Controversy

In response to the epidemic, the U.S. government recently allocated $1 billion towards strengthening agricultural biosecurity, financial aid for farmers, and vaccine research. Yet, the growing radical approaches from officials have sparked significant concern within the scientific community.

Kennedy and Dr. Mehmet Oz even supported a Canadian ostrich farm facing a culling order, suggesting that studying the surviving birds could yield insights into their immunity.

Risks of Ignoring the Science

Experts argue that allowing bird flu to spread unchecked in commercial poultry risks billions of birds' lives, skyrocketing prices, and destabilizing local economies—while simultaneously creating a perfect breeding ground for the virus to adapt into a more transmissible form.

Sorrell further pointed out that without stringent culling and strict biosecurity measures, the exposure risk escalates for both animals and humans. The notion that resilient birds would successfully pass on immunity is also questionable, given the catastrophic mortality rates associated with H5N1 among poultry.

A Call for Collaborative Solutions

Instead of a hands-off approach, experts urge the government to ramp up surveillance and enhance collaboration among poultry producers and veterinary experts. They emphasize that interdisciplinary teams need to coordinate effectively at both state and federal levels.

With looming federal budget cuts, ensuring economic support for farmers while investing in preventive measures seems more challenging than ever. Nonetheless, experts maintain that the current policies involving culling are necessary to prevent a larger crisis, stressing the need for greater transparency and collaboration in tackling the ongoing bird flu threat.