South African authorities have confirmed a new outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), commonly known as bird flu, in the Western Cape province. The virus, which primarily affects birds, has caused significant mortalities among wild species such as Great White Pelicans near Malmesbury and Hartlaub’s Gulls in Cape Town. These are the first major wild bird deaths linked to HPAI in the region since 2022 and the first confirmed cases since April 2024.
- New HPAI Outbreaks in Western Cape: South African authorities have confirmed the resurgence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in the Western Cape, with notable wild bird deaths—including Great White Pelicans and Hartlaub’s Gulls—marking the first mass mortalities since 2022.
- Public Health Risk Remains Low: While avian influenza can cause severe disease in birds, health agencies including the CDC affirm there is currently no evidence of human-to-human transmission of H5N1, though vigilance is urged due to potential mutation risks.
- Global Concern and Gain-of-Function Research: Controversy surrounds the virus's potential origins and risks, with figures like Dr. Fauci and Bill Gates accused of funding gain-of-function research that could enable airborne human transmission.
- Speculation of Future Pandemic: Some experts, such as former CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield, warn that a future bird flu pandemic could pose a greater threat than COVID-19, with speculation mounting over vaccine stockpiles and possible engineered strains.
South Africa Confirms New Bird Flu Outbreak
HPAI is a serious viral disease that spreads through the droppings and bodily fluids of infected birds, and can be transmitted via direct contact or contaminated materials. Infected birds may behave unusually, such as becoming tame or exhibiting neurological symptoms like seizures. While primarily an animal health concern, the disease has raised global awareness due to its occasional zoonotic potential.
The Western Cape Government has urged both the public and agricultural sector to remain alert and report any suspected outbreaks in poultry. Under the Animal Diseases Act of 1984, avian influenza is a controlled disease in South Africa, and early detection is vital to limit its spread and economic impact. Though human transmission of H5N1 remains rare and inefficient, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and most media sources assert that the risk to the public is currently low.
The outbreak in South Africa comes amid questions in the United States and elsewhere about the sudden decline in bird flu coverage in the media. Following over a year of elevated concern, including mass poultry culls and dairy cattle infections, attention to the virus has diminished sharply. Some observers compare this to the abrupt disappearance of seasonal flu coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic and speculate on the reasons for this pattern.
Further skepticism surrounds the extensive funding into bird flu research, particularly concerning controversial “gain of function” studies. Prominent figures such as Dr. Anthony Fauci and Bill Gates have invested in projects aimed at understanding and potentially modifying avian flu viruses to assess their pandemic risk. One such researcher, Dr. Yoshihiro Kawaoka, reportedly combined elements of bird flu and Spanish flu to create a respiratory virus capable of human transmission. Another scientist, Ron Fouchier, has worked on creating an airborne version of the virus using genetic engineering.
These experiments raise ethical and biosafety concerns, with critics fearing that this type of research could inadvertently (or intentionally) lead to the creation of a virus with devastating potential. Former CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield has publicly warned that the next major pandemic may be bird flu, predicting a mortality rate of 10 to 50 percent should it gain the ability to spread efficiently among humans.
Speculation continues around the global stockpiling of H5N1 vaccines and the recent discovery of human cases, including one in the United States. With research being conducted in labs linked to the Pentagon and in international locations like Ukraine and China, fears about a potential lab-created pandemic persist.
As South Africa faces the real threat of HPAI in its bird populations, the broader global context suggests that bird flu could play a much larger role in future public health scenarios. Bookmark plague.info to your favorite independent websites for updates on TWO HUNDRED new gain-of-function viruses NIH, CDC and WHO plan to release into the “wild,” including bird flu, while blaming small farmers in America and infected bat soup eaters at the Wuhan wet market.
Sources for this article include:
Please contact us for more information.
