The head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, announced on Wednesday that the avian influenza A (H5N1) virus, commonly known as bird flu, still poses a low risk to public health, even though it has been found in dairy cattle in the United States.
Tedros emphasized that the H5N1 virus has not shown signs of spreading easily among humans. Since 2003, there have been 893 reported human cases of H5N1.
“That remains the case, which is why at this time, WHO continues to assess the risk to public health as low,” Tedros stated.
What is the H5N1 Virus?
The H5N1 virus is a type of influenza virus that mostly affects birds but can infect humans and other animals as well. It causes severe respiratory problems in birds, and when it infects humans, it can lead to some serious health issues like respiratory problems. However, the virus does not spread easily from person to person, which limits the risk of a large outbreak among humans.
Key Points
– WHO head, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, addressed concerns about the spread of the H5N1 virus in the U.S. dairy cattle.
– Tedros assured that the virus has not shown the ability to spread easily among humans.
– Since 2003, there have been 893 reported human cases of H5N1.
– WHO continues to monitor the situation and assesses the risk to public health as low.
The World Health Organization (WHO) continues to monitor the situation closely and will update their assessment if anything changes. For now, the organization reassures everyone that the current risk to human health from avian influenza A (H5N1) remains low.
