The World Health Organization (WHO) recognized today that the spread of the H5N1 variant of the coronavirus bird flu to species beyond birds, including mammals and humans, is worrying and this evolution must be closely monitored.
“I think it’s a huge concern.“, said in a meeting with journalists the chief scientist of the WHOJeremy Farrar.
Currently, there is no evidence that this virus is transmitted between people, a possibility that is causing concern among scientists.
On the other hand, what has been confirmed is that the H5N1 has a very high mortality rate among people who have been infected by close contact with contaminated birdsin the vast majority of cases.
The WHO recently confirmed a human case of H5N1 bird flu in Texas (United States), where a man was infected by supposedly contaminated cows, although in this case the symptoms he presented were mild.
This was the second infection in humans registered in USA and the fourth reported in the American continent, with the most recent previous case recorded in Chile in March 2023.
At the same time, it was the first case in which the person had been contaminated by a mammal, since previous infections due to exposure to infected mammals corresponded to other subtypes of the disease. bird flu.
Another episode related to the H5N1 variant was recorded in Antarctica, where dead infected birds were found, which set off alarm bells among groups dedicated to conservation and the environment.
From 2003 to April 1, a total of 889 cases and 463 deaths have been reported worldwide, indicating a mortality rate of 52%.
Faced with this evolution, Farrar pointed out that it will now be important to determine how many human infections with the H5N1 virus are going unnoticed because it is in this situation that the greatest risk of a mutation of the virus.
Mutations are always a cause for concern, because in one of these changes the virus can adapt better to humans and its transmission between people can be easier.
Source: Gestion
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