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The Global Virus Network has warned of a new virus.(Representative Image)
The Global Virus Network, a group that represents virologists from more than 40 countries, has called on governments around the world to act and be ready for the H5N1 outbreak. Also, called the bird flu or avian influenza, H5N1 is a kind of influenza virus that mainly affects birds but can also infect people and other animals on occasion.
“The recent emergence of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus infections in dairy cows and humans in the U.S. has raised alarms regarding the potential for a pandemic. Over 995 dairy cow herds and at least 70 humans have been affected,” in a LANCET report, the international organisation has called for action.
“Concurrently, the virus continues to circulate in wild birds, backyard flocks, and hunted migratory species, further amplifying the risk to humans and domestic animals,” the report added.
H5N1, which was first discovered in Chinese geese in 1996, attracted international notice when it began to cause severe outbreaks in poultry and, in certain cases, spread to people. Its high fatality rate in human cases makes it a severe public health concern, even though it is not easily transferred between humans.
The influenza A virus has a subtype called H5N1. The letters “H” and “N” stand for the proteins hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N), which are found on the surface of the virus. There are several subtypes (such as H1N1 or H3N2), but H5N1 is one of the most hazardous since it can seriously infect humans and birds.
As a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus, it spreads swiftly and infects birds with severe sickness. This makes it a problem for food security in impacted areas and economically damaging for poultry enterprises.
Saliva, nasal secretions, and faeces are the ways that H5N1 transmits in birds. Domestic fowl, such as turkeys and chickens, are particularly at risk. It is challenging to confine the virus because migratory wild birds can spread it over great distances.
Usually, humans contract the disease by coming into close or direct contact with diseased birds or their droppings. This can occur in farms, live bird markets, or when handling raw chicken without taking the right safety measures. Although there has not yet been any sustained human-to-human transmission, researchers caution that a pandemic could break out if the virus mutates to pass effectively between individuals.
Human symptoms range from the classic flu-like symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat) to serious respiratory conditions like acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and pneumonia. In addition, some patients may developed multi-organ failure, encephalopathy, and/or diarrhoea.
The general public is encouraged to stay away from sick birds and potentially contaminated objects, like bird droppings or carcasses, to lower the risk of infection. Proper personal safety equipment should be worn by anyone who works closely with birds, such as conservationists or poultry workers.
