UN: Bird Flu Could Spread to Humans

JUL 13 2023·Updated AUG 27

Story

Image credit: John Pearce, USGS [via Wikimedia Commons]

The Facts

Three UN agencies — the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) — warned that an ongoing avian flu outbreak in birds and mammals could spread to humans and urged countries to increase animal surveillance and improve farm hygiene.
MINT
WOAH science chief Gregorio Torres said there is a “paradigm change in the ecology and epidemiology of avian influenza,” which has spread the disease to new regions while causing unusual bird die-offs and an alarming rise in mammalian cases.
The Japan Times
While avian flu has normally spread among birds, the new H5N1 strain has been detected in mammals, which are biologically closer to humans. Since last year, 10 countries have reported bird flu outbreaks in both land and sea mammals, including minks in Spain, seals in the US, and sea lions in Peru and Chile.
Downtoearth
Earlier this week, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control reported that 24 sick or dead cats tested positive for H5N1 in Poland. European health officials have urged an investigation into the outbreak while the WHO suggests that the disease isn’t spreading by cat-to-cat transmission.
The Telegraph
On Thursday, the European Food Safety Authority urged pet owners to keep their cats and dogs inside while health agencies study the H5N1 outbreak. Five dogs and a cat tested positive for the virus in Italy, and France hopes to start vaccinating poultry this fall.
WION
While only about six humans have come in close contact with infected birds and suffered just symptoms, WHO official Dr. Sylvie Briand said her agency “encourages all countries to increase their ability to monitor these viruses.” The agencies also say countries need to share genetic data of viruses in humans and animals.
Reuters

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The Spin

Narrative A

The rapid spread of the avian flu from its typical hosts to mammals is a great cause for concern, and health organizations across the globe must increase their efforts to fight the disease before it becomes a pandemic. The clock is ticking to develop a strategy to stop the spread to avoid spillover to humans. Countries must be transparent with their data, and farms should look to vaccinate their animals with new treatments as soon as they’re available.

Republic World

Narrative B

We've seen this alarmism before... A global health crisis requires countries to track their citizens and potentially require vaccinations. Maybe health officials are just being cautious, but after the last three years of COVID political failures, lockdowns, and jabs, it's understandable why people are wary of “trusting the science.”

New Canadian Media