The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have reported cases of the H5N1 avian flu strain in 108 countries across five continents. The virus has caused the deaths of over 300 million birds worldwide and is increasingly crossing species barriers, infecting more than 500 bird species and at least 70 mammalian species.
The FAO warns that avian influenza poses a serious threat to food and nutrition security, particularly in regions reliant on poultry as a primary source of protein. The economic damage from the virus is estimated to have affected hundreds of millions of people’s livelihoods, with farmers struggling to invest in adequate biosafety measures.
WHO Director Maria Van Kerkhove notes that while the risk of infection for the general public remains low, farm workers exposed to infected animals are at a moderate risk. There has been no reported human-to-human transmission of the virus, but the WHO emphasizes the need for thorough investigation into every case and recommends drinking pasteurized milk and heating it before consumption.
The FAO and WHO stress the importance of a “One Health” approach to tackle avian influenza effectively and minimize the risk in animals and humans. With the virus evolving, there is no room for complacency, and continued vigilance is necessary to prevent further outbreaks.
Source: https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/12/1158286