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Robert Redfield, former director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has warned that the next global pandemic could emerge from bird flu.

Speaking to NewsNation, Redfield highlighted recent developments, including the World Health Organization's report of the first human death from bird flu in Mexico and detections of the virus in US cattle.

"I really do think it's very likely that we will, at some time, it's not a question of if, it's more of a question of when we will have a bird flu pandemic," Redfield stated, emphasizing the potentially severe impact compared to Covid-19.

While Covid-19's mortality rate was 0.6 percent, Redfield projected bird flu's mortality rate could range "somewhere between 25 and 50 percent."

Recent cases reported by the CDC indicate sporadic infections among farmworkers, showing symptoms such as cough and pink eye, though there is currently no evidence of human-to-human transmission.

Research has identified specific amino acid changes necessary for bird flu to potentially infect humans efficiently, akin to Covid-19's spread. Redfield stressed the inevitability of a pandemic once such changes enable human-to-human transmission.

"I think it's just a matter of time," Redfield added, expressing concern over the virus's detection in U.S. cattle and its potential evolution. While noting over 40 affected cattle herds, the CDC has reassured the public of a low current risk.

Redfield also raised concerns about laboratory experiments that could further enhance the virus's transmissibility.

"The recipe for how to make bird flu highly infectious for humans is already out there," he warned.

"I know exactly what amino acids I have to change because in 2012, against my recommendation, the scientists that did these experiments actually published them," Redfield said, as per the Independent.

As authorities monitor wastewater treatment sites for virus traces, Redfield noted ongoing surveillance efforts amid evolving risks.