The H5N1 virus does not spread to people, but is transmitted through contact with poultry or livestock. WHO: Bird flu risk remains low despite first death in US Health
Following the first reported fatal case of bird flu in the United States, the World Health Organization (WHO) stressed that the threat to the general public remains minimal.
WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday that the H5N1 virus that causes the disease does not spread among people, but rather is transmitted through contact with poultry or livestock.
“We are not seeing sustained transmission between people,” she stressed.
The patient who died in Louisiana was over 65 years old and, according to available data, suffered from chronic diseases, and was also in direct contact with domestic and wild birds, Harris said. During the current outbreak of the disease in the United States, several dozen people have become infected with bird flu. These were mainly farmers working with birds and livestock.
Read also:
Bird flu has spread to 108 countries and territories
Harris noted that the WHO still assesses the risk to the general public as low, and the main focus is on protecting workers in certain industries. She added that the US continues to monitor both humans and animals, as well as agricultural and food production facilities.
Metapneumovirus in China: Seasonal Increase in Cases
Meanwhile, the spread of a respiratory virus known as human metapneumovirus (hMPV) in China has also attracted media attention. Harris stressed that the infection does not pose a new or serious threat.
According to her, the increase in such infections in China is in line with seasonal expectations. Influenza remains the most common disease, according to the country’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Harris noted that the scale of the spread of respiratory infections, according to local authorities, is within the normal range for the winter season. Authorities also say hospital occupancy rates are lower this year than they were the same time last year, and no emergency measures have been put in place.
As for the human metapneumovirus, it was first identified in 2001 and has been “circulating in the population for a long time,” the WHO spokeswoman added. Harris explained that the virus typically causes cold-like symptoms, but like other respiratory infections, it can be more severe in immunocompromised patients, infants and the elderly.
Asked about the death rate, Dr. Harris said it was “very low.” She recommended simple preventive measures, including wearing masks, improving indoor ventilation and washing hands regularly.