The continuing spread of bird flu has prompted the Global Virus Network, representing scientists from 40 countries, to call on governments to increase virus control measures and to prepare for potential human-to-human transmission.
The dominant H5N1 strain of bird flu has now spread across Europe, Asia, the United States – including all 50 US states – and Canada, as well as South America, Southern Africa and Australasia.
While bird flu has killed thousands of animals and infected more than 900 people worldwide, with a death rate of nearly 50%, it has not yet developed the ability to spread between human beings.
The Global Virus Network (GVN) published an analysis of the North American outbreak and its call for a global focus on bird flu in an article in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas.
In a media release, the GVN said multi-government action was needed to mitigate “the rising threat of H5N1 avian influenza”.
Dr Sten Vermund, GVN chief medical officer and dean of public health at the University of South Florida in the US, said understanding the current landscape of H5N1 infections was critical for effective prevention and response.
“The virus’s ability to infect both animals and humans, combined with recent genetic changes, underscores the importance of proactive surveillance and rapid response measures,” he said.
The GVN virologists emphasised the need for improved pandemic preparedness, drawing on lessons learned from the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and previous outbreaks. They advocated a multi-faceted approach to pandemic preparedness, stressing the need for enhanced surveillance and biosecurity.
Their 10 recommended steps included continuous monitoring and testing to track virus evolution that could lead to human-to-human transmissibility. They also recommended investment in rapid vaccine development for both humans and animals.
Noting that bird flu had spread to cows in 1 000 US dairy herds, the GVN recommended “urgent efforts to understand and interrupt transmission in cattle through herd management and potential vaccination”.
The scientists called for more international collaboration to track data and share research on bird flu, and to prepare for emerging viral threats, reduce community vulnerabilities and improve response strategies.
