The danger of people being contaminated by Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI; fowl flu) has risen, based on the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), because the virus spreads to completely different species and components of the world.
On Thursday 4 March [2024], WOAH’s head Monique Eloit mentioned: “Over the previous couple of months, we’ve had an entire collection of various and various mammals [contract bird flu]. It is worrying to see this extension to different species.
“Ultimately, we discover ourselves with increasingly species and extra animals that are contaminated, due to this fact essentially the next viral load with a danger of contamination of people.”
Northern Gannet is one species that has been significantly badly affected by HPAI over the previous 18 months (Esme Coles).
Bird flu spreading
Eloit’s feedback got here after the US Government reported circumstances of the illness in dairy cows in a number of states and a person in Texas, which she mentioned would solely be a powerful concern if there had been a transmission between cows, one thing the US authorities are nonetheless investigating
Avian influenza, generally referred to as fowl flu, has led to the culling of tons of of hundreds of thousands of poultry across the globe up to now years, with the virus principally carried by migrating wild birds.
Although the variety of outbreaks has been decrease this season the virus has unfold to new areas, together with South America and Antarctica, and hit a bigger variety of animals, decimating colonies of uncommon species.
Mammals in danger
Foxes had been the mammal species most affected by fowl flu however the virus additionally contaminated dozens of different species together with cats, tigers, seals, dolphins and bears.
Some outbreaks of fowl flu have prompted critical or deadly infections amongst individuals who have shut contact with wild birds or poultry however so far there was no sustained human-to-human transmission noticed. For most people who find themselves not uncovered to contaminated animals, the chance of catching the illness may be very low, scientists say.
