Health
The spread of bird flu from person to person is of ‘major concern’, the WHO says
Topline
A top World Health Organization official warned Thursday that there is an increasing threat of human-to-human transmission of bird flu as the virus has increasingly mutated and spread to humans through other mammals – although there is still no evidence of the virus that passes between people.
A man in a protective suit walks past a sign warning of an outbreak of bird flu.
Key facts
Jeremy Farrar, chief scientist of the World Health Organization, highlighted the seriousness of the global spread of H5N1 bird flu during a press conference Thursday, noting the virus’s “extremely high” death rate in humans.
Between January 2003 and March 28, 2024, the WHO reported 888 cases of bird flu infection in humans, 52% of which were fatal, according to the organization’s latest report. report.
The current global bird flu outbreak started in 2020 after a resurgence in Europe, and has led to the deaths of millions of birds, but it has evolved to infect more and more mammals such as cows, which could mean it could spread between humans as cows have similar body structures . something Farrar describes as a “major concern.”
Although there is no known human-to-human transmission, Farrar warned of the possibility of the virus mutating and spreading between humans, as it has already evolved and spread from other mammals to humans.
He noted that because the spread of bird flu has increased over the past one to two years, it is now being labeled a “global zoonotic animal pandemic” – or a pandemic caused by diseases that spread between humans and animals – and he said efforts are underway to “respond immediately with equitable access to vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics” if human-to-human transmission begins.
Forbes has contacted WHO for further comment.
Important background
Some worry that bird flu could be next major pandemic because of the way it spreads to cows, because they are close in species to humans, while the high mortality rate is also a major cause for concern if a pandemic breaks out. Because there is no evidence that the disease is spreading among humans, a bird flu pandemic may be unlikely, says Joe DeRisi, a biochemist at the University of California, San Francisco. said. However, he noted that there is “reason to be cautious” because it is possible for the virus to mutate and become transmissible between people. An outbreak of avian flu in cattle and goats, believed to be caused by infected birds affecting several US states including Texas, Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota and Kansas, has raised concerns among experts as these species are generally not susceptible to the virus. Texas officials reported Earlier this month, a man contracted bird flu after coming into contact with an infected dairy cow. This is the second time a human in the United States has contracted the H5N1 bird flu. The first happened indoors 2022 when a person in Colorado contracted the disease from infected poultry. Farrar called the infections in the U.S. a “major concern” and urged public health officials to continue to closely monitor the situation “as it could evolve into transmission in a variety of ways.”
Tangent
If an avian flu pandemic occurs, the Food and Drug Administration has done so approved a few vaccines for humans, so the US has a small supply of vaccines available. However, it is not enough to protect all Americans. The government has stated that plan to mass produce these vaccines in the event of a human outbreak, which could take at least six months before enough vaccines are made for the entire population.
Read further
Only second human case of bird flu in US as global virus spreads: Here’s what you need to know (Forbes)
Can pets get bird flu? Here’s what you need to know (Forbes)
Bird Flu (H5N1): Why Experts Worry and What You Need to Know (Forbes)
