WHO chief says no sign yet of H5N1 bird flu spreading between humans

The H5N1 avian influenza virus has up to now proven no indicators of adapting to permit human-to-human transmission, the UN well being company stated on Wednesday, urging continued surveillance.

So far, one human case has been reported within the United States because the outbreak of bird flu among the many tens of millions of dairy cattle throughout the nation. At least 220 persons are topic to monitoring, and a minimum of 30 have been examined.

“However, many extra folks have been uncovered to contaminated animals, and it’s important that each one these uncovered are examined or monitored and obtain care if wanted,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the UN World Health Organization (WHO), stated at his common press briefing.

“So far, the virus doesn’t present indicators of having tailored to unfold amongst humans, however extra surveillance is required,” he urged.

Pasteurisation kills the virus

The WHO chief additionally stated that although the virus has been detected in uncooked milk within the US, “preliminary assessments present that pasteurisation kills the virus”.

“WHO’s standing recommendation in all international locations is that folks ought to devour pasteurised milk,” he highlighted.

Pasteurisation is a warmth remedy course of for milk that reduces the numbers of doable pathogenic microorganisms to ranges at which they don’t characterize a major well being hazard. It additionally extends the usable life of milk.

Public well being danger ‘low’

Tedros additionally famous that based mostly on the accessible data, WHO continues to evaluate the general public well being danger posed by H5N1 avian influenza to be low and low-to-moderate for folks uncovered to contaminated animals.

He added that the company has a system for monitoring influenza globally via a community of centres in 130 international locations, seven collaborating centres and 12 reference laboratories with the capacities and biosafety necessities to cope with H5 viruses.

“We even have the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Framework to help the speedy growth and equitable distribution of vaccines in case of an influenza pandemic,” he stated.

H5N1 unfold

In latest years, H5N1 has unfold extensively amongst wild birds, poultry, land and marine mammals and now amongst dairy cattle.

Since 2021, there have been 28 reported instances in humans, though no human-to-human transmission has been documented.

The outbreak within the United States has up to now contaminated 36 dairy herds in 9 states.