WHO worried

Bird flu exceptionally deadly in humans

So far, 889 human infections have been recorded.(Bild: panyawat - stock.adobe.com)

The World Health Organization (WHO) has sounded the alarm about the spread of the H5N1 avian flu pathogen to more and more species. So far, there have been several hundred cases of humans infected with the virus - and the death rate is "exceptionally high".

The fact that H5N1 no longer only affects birds justifies "enormous concern", said WHO chief scientist Jeremy Farrar in Geneva on Thursday. The virus has developed into a global "animal pandemic". This spread increases the risk that humans will also become infected and that the pathogen will ultimately be transmitted by humans.

The current bird flu outbreak began in 2020 and has already led to the deaths of tens of millions of poultry farm animals. The virus also affects wild birds and has now also been detected in mammals on land and in the sea. Last month, to the surprise of experts, cows and goats were added to the list of infected species.

There is currently no evidence that H5N1 is spreading among humans. However, according to the WHO, there have been at least several hundred cases in which humans have been infected by infected animals. In these cases, the death rate is "exceptionally high", warned WHO expert Farrar.

(Bild: fotohansel - stock.adobe.com)

Death rate of 52%
From 2003 to April 1, 2024, the WHO reported a total of 889 human infections in 23 countries, 463 of which were fatal. This corresponds to a fatality rate of 52 percent.

Another cause for concern this month was the news that a person in the US state of Texas had contracted bird flu from dairy cattle. Previously, livestock herds in Texas, Kansas and other US states had apparently been infected with H5N1 from wild birds. According to the WHO, the case in Texas is apparently the first human infection with H5N1 in a mammal.

H5N1 is "looking for new, novel hosts"
 If a virus can also infect mammals, it is "getting closer to humans2, emphasized Farrar. H5N1 is "looking for new, novel hosts". Farrar called for closer monitoring of the infection process. It is important to know how many people have already been infected "because that is where the adaptation (of the virus) will happen".

The WHO expert warned that national and regional health authorities must have the capacity to detect the virus. This should enable humanity to "react immediately" if H5N1 is transmitted from person to person. Everyone should also have access to the vaccines and medicines against the bird flu virus, the development of which has already begun.