GENEVA: The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday warned that its ability to manage the risk to humans posed by the H5N1 bird flu virus was being compromised by patchy surveillance and urged countries to bolster their surveillance efforts.
Recent reports have raised concerns as the United States confirmed its fourth human case of H5N1 avian influenza last week, linked to exposure to infected dairy cows. Additionally, Cambodia reported two cases involving children who had contact with sick or deceased chickens.
Speaking at a press conference, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus underscored the critical need for enhanced surveillance to track the spread and mutations of influenza viruses in animals. “Our ability to assess and manage the risk is compromised by limited surveillance for influenza viruses globally,” Tedros stated.
Despite the recent cases, Tedros reassured that human-to-human transmission of H5N1 has not been observed, maintaining the current risk to the general public as low. However, he stressed that enhanced surveillance is crucial to detect any changes that could elevate the risk of human outbreaks.
The WHO called upon all countries to intensify surveillance and reporting of influenza in both animals and humans. It urged nations to share samples and genetic sequences to facilitate global monitoring and preparedness. Additionally, the organization emphasized the importance of protecting farm workers who are at heightened risk of exposure to infected animals and advocated for increased research into bird flu dynamics.
H5N1, which first emerged in 1996, has seen a notable increase in outbreaks among birds since 2020, leading to widespread deaths among poultry and infecting various wild birds, land animals, and marine mammals. While human cases have been recorded in Europe and the United States, they have generally been mild.
