The World Health Organization has raised concerns about the spread of H5N1 bird flu, which has an “extraordinarily high” mortality rate in humans.
An outbreak that began in 2020 has led to the deaths or killing of tens of millions of poultry.
Most recently, the spread of the virus within several mammal species, including in domestic cattle in the US, has increased the risk of spillover to humans, the WHO said.
“This remains I think an enormous concern,” the UN health agency’s chief scientist, Jeremy Farrar, told reporters in Geneva.
So far, there is no evidence that H5N1 is spreading between humans.
The recent US case of human infection after contact with an infected mammal highlights the increased risk.
When “you come into the mammalian population, then you’re getting closer to humans”, Farrar said, warning that “this virus is just looking for new, novel hosts”.
“It’s a tragic thing to say, but if I get infected with H5N1 and I die, that’s the end of it,” he said.
The H5N1 bird flu, which has a “extraordinarily high” human mortality rate, has caused the World Health Organization to express concern about its spread.
Tens of millions of chickens have died or been killed as a result of an outbreak that started in 2020. As per the WHO, there is now a higher chance of human infection due to the virus’s recent spread among various mammal species, including domestic cattle in the US.
The head scientist of the UN health agency, Jeremy Farrar, told reporters in Geneva, “This remains, I think, an enormous concern.”.
Experts were surprised to learn that cows and goats were among the afflicted species last month, as they were not previously believed to be susceptible to this particular strain of influenza. This month, US officials announced that 16 herds in six states were reportedly infected with bird flu, presumably as a result of exposure to wild birds. A person in Texas was said to be recuperating from bird flu after being exposed to dairy cattle.
“A global zoonotic animal pandemic” has emerged from the A(H5N1) variant, according to Farrar.
Of course, the biggest worry is that in dot. infecting chickens and ducks before spreading to more and more mammals, the virus is now evolving and developing the capacity to infect humans, as well as the crucial capacity to spread from human to human,” the speaker continued.
There is currently no proof that the H5N1 virus is spreading among people. However, Farrar noted that because humans lack a natural immunity to the virus, “the mortality rate is extraordinarily high” in the hundreds of cases where humans have contracted the infection through contact with animals over the past 20 years.
The WHO reports that between 2003 and 2024, there were 889 cases and 463 deaths globally from 23 different countries, making the case fatality rate 52 percent.
The elevated risk is demonstrated by the recent US case of human infection following contact with an infected mammal. Speaking about the dangers of “this virus searching for new, novel hosts,” Farrar stated that “you come into the mammalian population, then you’re getting closer to humans.”.
“It is very important to understand how many human infections are occurring .,” Farrar said, urging more frequent monitoring. since it will be there that the virus will adapt.
“Although it is a sad statement to make, my life will end if I contract H5N1,” he stated. “The cycle is started if I spread it to someone else while walking around the community.”. “.
He reported that work was underway to develop H5N1 vaccines and treatments, and emphasized the importance of ensuring that national and regional health authorities worldwide were equipped to identify the virus.
Farrar called for fair access to vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics, saying that this was being done in case the H5N1 virus “did come across to humans, with human-to-human transmission” and that the world would be “in a position to immediately respond.”.
