Health experts are calling for tighter biosecurity measures in global poultry production, from farms to markets, to monitor bird flu (avian influenza) following its spread among dairy cows in the United States. Since 2003, 888 cases of human infection with the avian influenza virus , also known as H5N1, have been reported from 23 countries, of which 463 were fatal, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Vietnam, Cambodia, and Indonesia are among the worst affected.
"Although the number may appear not as big as many other outbreaks, we need to bear in mind that each infection in humans is an attempt of the virus to try to establish itself in [the] human population," says Wenqing Zhang, head of the WHO's global influenza program, in a video released this week (Monday). "Although the chances are slim so far, as long as it succeeds just once, it is a start of an influenza pandemic." Symptoms in humans range from mild upper respiratory problems to severe illness such as pneumonia and multi-organ failure.
The recent outbreak among dairy cows in the U.S. indicates that H5N1 is expanding its range beyond birds, sparking concerns worldwide especially in many Asian countries where avian influenza has become endemic.
While the virus has not shown signs of adapting to allow human-to human transmission, the WHO is calling on countries to enhance surveillance measures and improve food hygiene practices. Anyone exposed to infected live or dead poultry or infected animals, or cont.