The current outbreaks of avian influenza have caused devastation in animal populations, including poultry, wild birds, and some mammals, but the outbreaks pose ongoing risks to humans according to the World Health Organisation.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and the WHO, are urging countries to work together across sectors to save as many animals as possible and to protect people.

Avian influenza viruses normally spread among birds, but the increasing number of H5N1 avian influenza detections among mammals – which are biologically closer to humans than birds – raises concern that the virus might adapt to infect humans more easily. In addition, some mammals may act as mixing vessels for influenza viruses, leading to the emergence of new viruses that could be more harmful to animals and humans.

Dr Gregorio Torres, head of the science department at WOAH, said: “There is a recent paradigm change in the ecology and epidemiology of avian influenza which has heightened global concern as the disease spread to new geographical regions and caused unusual wild bird die-offs, and alarming rise in mammalian cases.”

Sporadic influenza A(H5N1) virus detections in humans have also been reported, but remain very rare, with eight cases reported since December 2021. Infections in humans can cause severe disease with a high mortality rate. The human cases detected thus far are mostly linked to close contact with infected birds and contaminated environments.

Dr Sylvie Briand, director of epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention at the WHO, said: “With the information available so far, the virus does not appear to be able to transmit from one person to another easily, but vigilance is needed to identify any evolution in the virus that can change that.”

“WHO is working closely with FAO and WOAH, and laboratory networks to monitor the evolution of these viruses, looking for signals of any change that could be more dangerous to humans. We encourage all countries to increase their ability to monitor these viruses and to detect any human cases. This is especially important as the virus is now affecting countries with limited prior experience in avian flu surveillance.”

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