It always starts quietly. A handful of cases, a few infected animals, worried but cautious scientists… Then everything escalates. Remember those days in March 2020, when the word “lockdown” entered our daily lives? What if a similar scenario were unfolding before our eyes, without us really paying attention yet? The man who warned about the Covid-19 crisis thinks so—and this time, it’s not an unknown virus, but an old friend that could strike: bird flu.
David Quammen, the writer who was right
David Quammen is no prophet, but his analyses have already proven their relevance. In his book Spillover , published before the Covid-19 pandemic, he already warned of the risks of zoonoses—diseases transmitted from animals to humans. At the time, his comments seemed worrying, even excessive . Yet history has proven him right.
Today, Quammen is turning attention to a well-known virus: H5N1 avian flu. This virus is not new, but its recent mutation and rapid spread are worrying the scientific community.
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