So far, 36 dairy herds have been infected in nine states in the USA. But only one human case has been reported, however, at least 220 people are being monitored and at least 30 have already been tested, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) announced today.
The WHO official indicated that “many more people have been exposed to infected animals and it is important that all exposed people are tested or monitored and receive care if necessary.”
“So far, the virus shows no signs of having adapted to spread between humans, but more vigilance is needed,” said the WHO Director-General.
The virus was detected in raw milk in the USA, but preliminary tests show that pasteurization kills the virus, which is why the WHO clarified that people can consume pasteurized milk.
The WHO recalled that based on available information it will continue to assess the risk to public health posed by H5N1 avian influenza as low to moderate for people exposed to infected animals.
“In recent years, H5N1 has spread widely among wild birds, birds, land and marine mammals, and now among dairy cattle”, and “since 2021, there have been 28 reported cases in humans, although no human-to-human transmission has been documented during this period”.
For the WHO, the H5N1 outbreak in dairy cattle demonstrates the importance of a One Health approach, which recognizes the intimate links between the health of humans, animals and the environment.
Considering two systems: one to prevent outbreaks and pandemics through a “One Health” approach, and another to respond to them through vaccine sharing – these are two vital elements of the Pandemic Agreement that WHO Member States are currently to negotiate.
