By Dr Praveen Gupta, Principle Director and Chief of Neurology, Fortis Hospital

There is concern that the avian influenza (H5N1) virus, or bird flu, could lead to the next pandemic. The government recently increased vigilance against the spread of bird flu following WHO warnings of heightened transmission risks and potential human infections. The virus can cause severe complications, including neurological issues, posing significant health risks. It is high time for us to take the situation seriously as in West Bengal, we have already witnessed a human transmission. The virus causes severe complications including neurological ones.

Severity of the situation can be understood with the fact that this week WHO announced a new project to accelerate the development of vaccines for human bird flu infections for low- and middle-income countries, using cutting-edge messenger RNA technology. WHO has taken consideration of vaccine equity and established the mRNA Technology Transfer Programme,” and this will help India significantly. 

From neurology point of view also the virus can be life-threatening as it has demonstrated neurotropism and that can infect the central nervous system. Severe cases may experience encephalitis, yet another potentially life-threatening inflammation of the brain. Altered mental status, seizures, and even coma are main symptoms that indicate the virus has infected the brain. We can say that these neurological manifestations result from direct viral invasion of the brain, as well as from an excessive immune response leading to inflammation and tissue damage. Early recognition and management of these complications are crucial, as they can significantly impact the prognosis and outcomes.

Going forward, leveraging the WHO’s initiative if India develops and produces its own vaccines using mRNA, we would be able benefit from the technology that instructs the body to produce a unique protein that stimulates an immune response, teaching it to defend against the infection.