Written by Tavishi Dogra | Updated : August 21, 2024 7:58 PM IST
The government recently increased vigilance against the spread of bird flu following WHO warnings of heightened transmission risks and potential human infections. We must take the situation seriously, as we have already witnessed human transmission in West Bengal.
The severity of the situation can be understood by the fact that this week, WHO announced a new project to accelerate the development of vaccines for human bird flu infections in middle and low-income countries, utilising cutting-edge messenger RNA technology.
The virus can be life-threatening as it has demonstrated neurotropism, which can infect the central nervous system. Severe cases may experience encephalitis, yet another potentially life-threatening inflammation of the brain.
Seizures and even coma are the main symptoms that indicate the virus has infected the brain. These neurological manifestations result from direct viral invasion of the brain and an excessive immune response, leading to inflammation and tissue damage.
Leveraging the WHO’s initiative, if India develops and produces its vaccines using mRNA, we could benefit from the technology that instructs the body to produce a unique protein that stimulates an immune response, teaching it to defend against infection.
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