WHO wants bird flu surveillance stepped up 

geneva — 

The World Health Organization connected Thursday urged countries to measurement up surveillance for vertebrate flu aft the archetypal lawsuit was detected successful a kid successful the United States.

A tiny but increasing fig of H5N1 avian influenza infections person been detected successful humans astir the satellite successful caller years, Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention director, said astatine a property conference.

"What we truly request globally, successful the U.S. and abroad, is overmuch stronger surveillance successful animals: successful chaotic birds, successful poultry, successful animals that are known to beryllium susceptible to infection, which see swine, which see dairy cattle, to amended recognize the circulation successful these animals," she said.

More outbreaks

H5N1 emerged successful 1996, but since 2020, the fig of outbreaks successful birds has grown exponentially, alongside an summation successful the fig of infected mammals.

The strain has led to the deaths of tens of millions of poultry, with chaotic birds and onshore and marine mammals besides infected.

Human cases recorded successful Europe and the United States since the microorganism surged person mostly been mild.

In March, infections were detected successful respective dairy herds crossed the United States.

U.S. wellness officials judge the hazard for the wide nationalist is low, though albeit higher for those moving straight with livestock, including birds, dairy cattle and more.

Last Friday, U.S. authorities said a kid successful California had go the archetypal successful the United States to trial affirmative for vertebrate flu infection. Health officials offered checks and preventive attraction to exposed contacts astatine the youth's kid attraction center.

The kid had mild symptoms and was said to beryllium recovering astatine location pursuing attraction with flu antivirals.

"Including this astir caller case, 55 quality cases of H5 vertebrate flu person present been reported successful the United States during 2024, with 29 successful California," the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

No human-to-human infections seen

Van Kerkhove said each but 2 of those had known vulnerability to infected animals.

"We person not seen grounds of human-to-human infection. But again, for each of these quality detected cases, we privation to spot a precise thorough probe taking place," she said.

"We request overmuch stronger efforts successful presumption of reducing the hazard of corruption betwixt animals to caller taxon and to humans," she added, notably done investigating and due protective equipment.

Van Kerkhove, who was the WHO's COVID-19 method lead, stressed the value of preparing "for erstwhile oregon if we volition beryllium successful a concern wherever we are successful a flu pandemic."

"We're not successful that concern yet, but we bash request much vigilance,” Van Kerkhove said.