The World Health Organization on Wednesday expressed concern that the rise in mammalian bird flu cases is helping the virus spread “easier” to humans.
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“Avian influenza viruses normally spread among birds, but the increasing number of cases of H5N1 avian influenza being detected in mammals – which are biologically closer to humans than birds – raises concerns that the virus may be adapting to more easily infect humans infect,” the WHO said in a statement.
In the warning – also signed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Organization for Animal Health (WHO) – the organizations called on countries to work together “to save as many animals as possible and protect populations .”
Since its emergence in 1996, the H5N1 avian influenza virus has caused mainly seasonal animal diseases.
But according to the WHO, a variant of this virus has caused an unprecedented number of deaths in wild birds and poultry in many countries in Africa, Asia and Europe since 2020.
In 2021, the virus spread to North America and in 2022 to Central and South America.
These animal diseases are tantamount to massive wild bird deaths and the slaughter of tens of millions of poultry.
“There has recently been a paradigm shift in the ecology and epidemiology of avian influenza that has increased concern worldwide,” said Dr. Gregorio Torres, scientific director of OMSA, in a press release on Wednesday.
He notes that the disease has spread to new regions, causing unusual mortality in wild birds and “an alarming rise in the number of cases in mammals.”
Monitor and detect
The three organizations also fear that certain mammals could serve as “mixed reservoirs” for influenza viruses, leading to the emergence of new viruses that could be even more dangerous to animals and humans.
Reports of deadly outbreaks in mammals have been piling up lately, it said.
Since 2022, 10 countries on three continents have reported outbreaks in marine and terrestrial mammals to OMSA, but the organizations consider it likely that outbreaks in other countries have not yet been detected or reported.
Avian flu has been detected in at least 26 species of mammals, including farmed mink and seals, but also in domestic animals such as cats and dogs.
According to the WHO, infections in humans can cause serious illness with a high mortality rate. The human cases identified so far are mainly due to close contact with infected birds or contaminated environments.
“Based on the information available so far, the virus does not appear to be easily transmissible from person to person, but vigilance is required to detect any evolution of the virus that could change that,” said Dr. Sylvie Briand, Head of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention at WHO.
“We encourage all countries to improve their ability to monitor these viruses and detect any human cases.” she continues.