No need for bird flu hysteria, UVA doctor says

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - The risk of contracting bird flu is low, but never zero. Doctor Patrick Jackson of UVA Health spoke on the potential risks of the influenza spreading.

“Another influenza pandemic is almost an inevitability,” Dr. Jackson said.

The cases of bird flu are picking up with birds, livestock, and a limited number of cases where people are working with them.

Dr. Jackson says there have been no report of person-to-person transmissions.

“Essentially animal exposure would be your risk factor right now,” Jackson said.

Jackson said it is hard to project how likely an outbreak in central Virginia would be.

“We haven’t seen things tip over into being high risk for an imminent pandemic,” Jackson said.

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