Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: https://news.trust.org/item/20220105165331-o5di4
New bird flu has higher risk of spread to humans -animal health director
by Reuters
Wednesday, 5 January 2022 16:56 GMT
By Sybille de La Hamaide
PARIS, Jan 5 (Reuters) - A wave of bird flu in Asia and Europe has a greater risk of spreading to humans because of a high number of variants, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said.
The spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, has raised concern among governments and the poultry industry after previous outbreaks led to the culling of tens of millions of birds and trade restrictions.
"This time the situation is more difficult and more risky because we see more variants emerge, which make them harder to follow," OIE Director General Monique Eloit told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday.
"Eventually the risk is that it mutates or that it mixes with a human flu virus that can be transmitted between humans then suddenly it takes on a new dimension," she added.
Fifteen countries had reported outbreaks of bird flu in poultry between October and the end of December, mostly the H5N1 strain. Italy was the worst hit in Europe with 285 outbreaks and nearly four million birds culled, OIE data showed...
New bird flu has higher risk of spread to humans -animal health director
by Reuters
Wednesday, 5 January 2022 16:56 GMT
By Sybille de La Hamaide
PARIS, Jan 5 (Reuters) - A wave of bird flu in Asia and Europe has a greater risk of spreading to humans because of a high number of variants, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said.
The spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, has raised concern among governments and the poultry industry after previous outbreaks led to the culling of tens of millions of birds and trade restrictions.
"This time the situation is more difficult and more risky because we see more variants emerge, which make them harder to follow," OIE Director General Monique Eloit told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday.
"Eventually the risk is that it mutates or that it mixes with a human flu virus that can be transmitted between humans then suddenly it takes on a new dimension," she added.
Fifteen countries had reported outbreaks of bird flu in poultry between October and the end of December, mostly the H5N1 strain. Italy was the worst hit in Europe with 285 outbreaks and nearly four million birds culled, OIE data showed...
