Flu activity is spiking across Southern California, which is leading to a concerning number of pediatric hospitalizations. Doctors said the threat of bird flu is making this season particularly concerning.
"The real threat for us right now is the seasonal flu," Kaiser Permanente Antelope Valley Infectious Disease specialist Dr. David Bronstein said."These kids are miserable," Bronstein said. "I've had to put kids in the hospital with pneumonia."to mutate into something dangerous.
"If someone's infected with both of those and the bird flu swaps genes with the seasonal flu and becomes able to spread person to person, then we easily could have a pandemic on our hands," he said."A seasonal flu vaccine isn't going to protect you against bird flu, but it'll protect you against having a co-infection where you can become a super spreader," he explained.
While the bird flu risk to the general public remains low, you should still take steps to protect yourself:Watch what you and your pet eat. In a new advisory, L.A. County health officials say they've detected bird flu in"There are cases of cats who've been drinking raw milk that's been infected, who then goes on to die as well," Bronstein said.. Be aware of what you are consuming, but Bronstein said being vaccinated against the seasonal flu should be a top priority.
"There's a ton of flu," he said. "And mark my words, when kids go back to school in a week or two, those numbers are going to go off the charts."
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