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#WHO DG's opening #remarks at the #media #briefing – 16 January 2025 {portion on avian #influenza}

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By G.M.

 {Excerpt}

(...)

Now to the global spread of H5 avian influenza.

Last year, 66 cases of H5 were reported from the United States, plus 10 from Cambodia, 2 from Viet Nam and one each from Australia, Canada and China.

This is the highest number of reported human cases since 2015.


So far this year, 2 cases including 1 death have been reported in the United States, and 1 death in Cambodia.

Almost all these cases are associated with infected dairy cattle or poultry.

H5N1 is of particular concern because since the first human cases were reported in 2003, it has killed almost half of those it has struck.

Fortunately, H5N1 has not yet developed the ability to transmit easily between humans. But that could be only a matter of time.

Every transmission from one animal to another, or to a human, is an opportunity for the virus to mutate, or to mix with other influenza viruses.

It’s therefore imperative that the virus is not allowed to spread unchecked in animals.

WHO is working closely with the World Organisation for Animal Health and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in a One Health approach to managing the threat of H5 globally.

We call on all countries to strengthen biosecurity on farms, testing and surveillance, and to provide personal protective equipment to farm workers who may be at risk.

We also call on all countries with outbreaks of H5 among animals to share viral samples and sequences with the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System, or GISRS.

(...)

Source: World Health Organization, https://www.who.int/news-room/speeches/item/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing---16-january-2025

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