WHO Urges Enhanced Monitoring of H5N1 Bird Flu in Animals

The World Health Organization (WHO) is calling for intensified surveillance of H5N1 bird flu in animals to curb its spread and reduce the risk of transmission to new species and humans.

Call for Action
“What we really need globally is much stronger surveillance in animals—wild birds, poultry, and other susceptible species,” said WHO epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove during an online press briefing.

The WHO is collaborating with agencies such as the World Organization for Animal Health and the Food and Agriculture Organization to bolster monitoring efforts.

Concerns Over Pigs as Hosts
Recent findings highlight concerns about pigs as potential amplifiers of bird flu transmission. The US Department of Agriculture confirmed H5N1 in a pig on a backyard farm in Oregon last month. Pigs are particularly worrisome because they can host both bird and human influenza viruses, creating opportunities for the viruses to exchange genetic material and form a strain that could more easily infect humans.

Global Readiness
“For us at the WHO, we are always in a constant state of readiness when it comes to influenza. It isn’t a matter of if, but when,” said Van Kerkhove. However, the global risk to humans from H5N1 remains low.

Current Human Cases
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 55 human cases of H5N1 bird flu have been reported in the United States this year, primarily among farm workers exposed to infected poultry or cows. There is no evidence of human-to-human transmission, but dairy and farm workers are considered at higher risk of contracting the virus.