An expert is speaking of avian influenza as a "pandemic threat"
Bird flu cases in Asia are currently at a low level, but experts are still alarmed and are proposing several measures. This should not necessarily remain the case.
Experts are deeply concerned about the recent increase in bird flu cases in humans in Asia. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is calling for greater and cross-border efforts in the fight against bird flu. Since the end of 2023, there have already been 13 reported cases in Cambodia, as well as cases in China and Vietnam.
The Regional Manager of the FAO Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD) in Southeast Asia, Kachen Wongsathapornchai, speaks of a pandemic threat. "The recent increase in bird flu outbreaks is extremely concerning," said Wongsathapornchai. "Since the end of 2023, we have observed an increase in human cases and the spread of the virus to new animal species. The emergence of new H5N1 strains that are more easily transmissible increases the pandemic risk."
The H5N1 virus has spread worldwide, affecting both wild and farm animals. The FAO lists poultry scavengers, marine mammals, meat-eating domestic animals, livestock raised for their fur, and ruminants such as dairy cows as affected species. Outbreaks of bird flu in animals must be identified quickly and information shared with neighboring countries and regions, the FAO urges.
More capacity for rapid diagnosis and bioinformatics is needed. Farmers must improve biosecurity, vaccination campaigns in poultry farms are necessary. In addition, people must be educated about transmission risks.
So far, most infected people have been in close contact with animals. However, there are concerns that the virus may continue to mutate and adapt in livestock.
The rising number of human bird flu cases in Asia highlights the need for increased education about transmission risks among the population. Effective vaccination campaigns and improved biosecurity measures in poultry farms could help mitigate the spread of the disease.
