WHO wants bird flu surveillance stepped up

GENEVA, Nov 29, (AFP): The World Health Organization on Thursday urged countries to step up surveillance for bird flu after the first case was detected in a child in the United States.

A small but growing number of H5N1 avian influenza infections have been detected in humans around the world in recent years, WHO epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention director Maria Van Kerkhove told a press conference.

"What we really need globally, in the US and abroad, is much stronger surveillance in animals: in wild birds, in poultry, in animals that are known to be susceptible to infection, which includes swine, which include dairy cattle, to better understand the circulation in these animals," she said.

H5N1 first emerged in 1996 but since 2020, the number of outbreaks in birds has grown exponentially, alongside an increase in the number of infected mammals.

The strain has led to the deaths of tens of millions of poultry, with wild birds and land and marine mammals also infected.

Human cases recorded in Europe and the United States since the virus surged have largely been mild.

In March, infections were detected in several dairy herds across the United States.

US health officials believe the risk for the general public is low -- albeit higher for those working directly with livestock animals including birds, dairy cattle and more.

Last Friday, US authorities said a child in California had become the first in the United States to test positive for bird flu infection.