As the global leaders in biosecurity, Livetec are constantly keeping up to date on animal diseases and recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has expressed “enormous concern” that the H5N1 bird flu virus is spreading to humans.
The recent outbreak of bird flu that began in 2020 has devastated poultry flocks and wild bird populations throughout the UK, across Europe and around the world. It has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of millions of poultry and wild birds either directly or by mandatory culling.
H5N1 has been reported in 48 different animal species, including goats, cows, foxes, squirrels, cats, dogs, penguins, skunks, coyotes and grizzly bears. In Argentina, 17,000 baby elephant seals died from bird flu and in Spain there has been an outbreak amongst farmed mink. This is increasing the risks of bird flu being passed on and infecting humans.
The UN Health Agency’s Chief Scientist, Jeremy Farrar said in a recent press conference: “This remains, I think, an enormous concern.”
Continuing: “The great concern of course is… that virus now evolves and develops the ability to infect humans and then critically the ability to go from human to human.”
Bird flu is a zoonotic disease, meaning it can be transmitted to humans from animals. Recently across several states in the US including Texas and Kansas, 16 dairy cattle herds were confirmed to have been infected with H5N1. In one case in Texas, a farmer caught bird flu after being in close contact with cows infected with the H5N1 strain. Thankfully, after isolating and being treated with an antiviral drug he made a full recovery. It is thought the cattle were exposed to the virus through faeces and nasal secretions from migrating wild birds, contaminating feed that was left in the open.
According to the WHO, since 2003 there have been 889 cases of the H5N1 virus in humans reported worldwide from 23 countries resulting in 463 deaths. That’s a frighteningly high 52% fatality rate.
At the moment there is no evidence of H5N1 transmission human to human. However, if the virus is constantly mutating and there are increasing cases of it infecting humans, the risk to the human population grows.
Farrar stated: “… you’re getting closer to humans…this virus is just looking for new novel hosts.”
Calling for increased monitoring he said it’s: “Very important understanding how human infections are happening… because that’s where adaptation (of the virus) is happening.”
Staying ahead of the spread in poultry and wild birds
Livetec are at the vanguard of monitoring the spread of bird flu via the Livetec Systems App so they can take proactive, protective measures.
Everyone from backyard keepers, commercial poultry producers to non bird keepers can remain up to date on outbreaks of bird flu with instant alerts sent directly to your phone.
You can take the first step to better protecting your farm business and farm workers with our Biosecurity Advisory Service here, or contact us with any questions you have here.
