ETIDIOH - NEW

Key points   -- At the present time , based on available information, FAO-WHO-WOAH assess the global public health risk of influenza A(H5) viruses to be low , while the risk of infection for occupationally exposed persons is low to moderate depending on the risk mitigation measures in place and the local avian influenza epidemiological situation.  -- Transmission between animals continues to occur and, to date, a growing yet still limited number of human infections are being reported. Although additional human infections associated with exposure to infected animals or contaminated environments are expected to occur, the overall public health impact of such infections at a global level, at the present time, is considered minor .  -- The assessment could change if and when additional epidemiological or virological information becomes available.  -- This risk assessment from FAO, WHO and WOAH updates the assessment of the risk of zoonotic transmission (for example, ani...

  Situation at a glance On 2 April 2025, the International Health Regulations (IHR) National Focal Point (NFP) for Mexico notified the World Health Organization (WHO) of the country’s first laboratory-confirmed human infection with an avian influenza A(H5N1) virus in the state of Durango .  In response, local and national health authorities have implemented a range of measures to monitor, prevent, and control the situation.  There have been reports of A(H5N1) outbreaks in birds in Durango , although the exact source of infection in this case remains under investigation .  To date, no further cases of human infection with influenza A(H5N1) linked to this case have been identified.  In accordance with the IHR (2005), any human infection caused by a new influenza A virus subtype is considered a potentially significant public health event and is subject to mandatory notification to WHO.  Based on the information currently available on this and previous cases, W...

Summary Background The 2017 WHO Bacterial Priority Pathogens List (BPPL) has been instrumental in guiding global policy, research and development, and investments to address the most urgent threats from antibiotic-resistant pathogens, and it is a key public health tool for the prevention and control of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Since its release, at least 13 new antibiotics targeting bacterial priority pathogens have been approved. The 2024 WHO BPPL aims to refine and build on the previous list by incorporating new data and evidence, addressing previous limitations, and improving pathogen prioritisation to better guide global efforts in combating AMR. Methods The 2024 WHO BPPL followed a similar approach to the first prioritisation exercise, using a multicriteria decision analysis framework. 24 antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens were scored based on eight criteria, including mortality, non-fatal burden, incidence, 10-year resistance trends, preventability, transmissibility,...

Key points   • The overall objective of continual global surveillance for human infection with avian influenza A(H5) viruses is to detect and characterize any influenza A(H5) viruses infecting humans in order to:  - (1) promptly trigger public health control and response actions,  - (2) assess the trends of such infections and the public health risks posed (including the risk of a pandemic); and  - (3) inform global pandemic preparedness activities.  • Specific surveillance objectives include rapidly detecting human cases of influenza A(H5) virus infection, monitoring the incidence of new cases over time and geographical distribution, assessing and monitoring changes in transmission patterns to promptly detect any unusual events that may signal human-to-human transmission of the virus, characterizing and monitoring changes in any influenza A(H5) viruses infecting humans relative to those circulating in animals to inform control strategies, describing the clinica...