An outbreak of H5N1 bird flu has led to the deaths of tens of millions of poultry and has now spread within several mammal species, increasing the risk of transmission to humans.
The virus has evolved to infect ducks, chickens, and mammals, posing a potential threat to humans if it gains the ability to spread from human to human.
The mortality rate in humans infected with H5N1 is exceptionally high due to the lack of natural immunity. The recent case in the US of human infection after contact with an infected mammal highlights the growing risk.
Jeremy Farrar of the WHO emphasized the importance of increased monitoring to prevent the virus from finding new hosts and potentially spreading to humans.
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