December 27, 2024

More than 300 million birds dead worldwide due to avian influenza, according to UN officers

Avian influenza has caused the deaths of more than 300 million birds worldwide and the virus "is increasingly crossing species barriers", according to UN health officers.

In an update on the mutating virus - known as H5N1 – Dr. Madhur Dhingra from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said that it had "spilled over into wildlife".

More than 500 bird species have been infected along with at least 70 mammalian species, including the endangered California condor and polar bears.

In regions that are heavily reliant on poultry as a primary source of protein, the FAO medic insisted that avian influenza "poses a serious threat to food and nutrition security".

Dr. Dhingra warned that hundreds of millions of people's livelihoods have been affected by the virus – an economic burden on farmers that could prevent them from investing in adequate biosafety measures.

Following the emergence of H5N1 influenza virus in dairy cattle, the WHO has joined calls for strengthened surveillance and biosecurity on farms, to keep animals and people safe.

The UN health agency said that in 2024, 76 people have been infected with the H5 avian influenza strain, and most were farm workers. More than 60 cases originated in the US, which has also reported outbreaks of H5 in wildlife and poultry and, more recently, in dairy cattle.

There have also been cases reported in Australia, Canada, China, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

- UN news