Geneva, December 21 (IANS). The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently reported that the risk of influenza A (H5N1) virus is currently low worldwide.
According to the report of Xinhua news agency, the World Health Organization, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), has said after an assessment that human infection mainly occurs through contact with infected animals or contaminated environments. It happens by coming.
Despite the increase in cases, the total number remains low, which has not had any significant impact on the world's public health. However, animal-to-animal transmission continues, especially in areas where effective preventive measures are lacking. Due to this, farm workers and other people who come in contact with infected animals have to face various types of dangers.
During a press briefing held in Geneva on 17 December this year, experts from the World Health Organization, FAO and WOAH described in detail the global H5N1 situation and warned about the possible evolution of the virus.
Maria Van Kerkhove, an expert on emerging diseases at the World Health Organization, said that by 2024, 76 cases of H5N1 infection have been recorded. Of these cases, 61 are from America only, which have been found mainly in people working in agriculture.
Although H5N1 is primarily a poultry virus with no evidence of human-to-human spread, Van Kerkhove cautioned that the virus can adapt rapidly.
In addition to human infections, the US has reported widespread H5N1 outbreaks in wildlife and poultry, with recent infections reported in dairy cattle in 15 states.
Madhur Dhingra, Senior Animal Health Officer at FAO, emphasized the significant economic impact on global poultry industries, threatening food and nutrition security in affected areas. In addition to poultry, the virus has infected more than 500 bird species and 70 mammalian species. This includes endangered animals such as the California condor and polar bear, underscoring the broader ecological consequences.
–IANS
PSM/CBT
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