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The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed deep concern over the escalating threat of human-to-human transmission of the H5N1 bird flu virus, which exhibits a remarkably high mortality rate among infected individuals.

According to the WHO, an ongoing outbreak originating in 2020 has resulted in widespread mortality among poultry, with tens of millions of birds succumbing to the virus.

Recent incidents of H5N1 transmission among various mammalian species, including domestic cattle in the United States, have intensified apprehensions regarding potential spillover into human populations, as stated by the UN health agency's chief scientist, Jeremy Farrar, during a press briefing in Geneva.

"This remains I think an enormous concern," Farrar told reporters in Geneva, according to The Guardian.

In a surprising turn of events, cases of H5N1 infection have been reported in cows and goats, challenging previous assumptions about the susceptibility of these species to the influenza strain.

Authorities in the U.S. disclosed a case of human infection in Texas, attributed to exposure to infected dairy cattle, with subsequent infections reported in 16 herds across six states, likely due to contact with wild birds.

Farrar emphasized that the A(H5N1) variant has emerged as a global zoonotic animal pandemic, raising concerns about its potential to evolve and acquire the ability for sustained human-to-human transmission.

"The great concern of course is that in ... infecting ducks and chickens and then increasingly mammals, that virus now evolves and develops the ability to infect humans and then critically the ability to go from human to human," Farrar explained.

While current evidence indicates no such transmission, the mortality rate among infected individuals remains alarmingly high due to the lack of natural immunity.

Since 2003, a total of 889 cases and 463 fatalities attributed to H5N1 have been reported worldwide from 23 countries, with a case fatality rate of 52%, according to WHO data.

The recent incidence of human infection underscores the heightened risk associated with exposure to infected mammals, underscoring the urgent need for enhanced surveillance and monitoring efforts to track potential adaptations of the virus.

"It's a tragic thing to say, but if I get infected with H5N1 and I die, that's the end of it," Farrar said. "If I go around the community and I spread it to somebody else then you start the cycle."

Farrar advocates for accelerated development of vaccines and therapeutics against H5N1, alongside efforts to bolster diagnostic capabilities at regional and national levels to facilitate prompt responses in the event of human-to-human transmission.

He stressed the importance of equitable access to medical interventions to mitigate the impact of potential outbreaks and pointed out the critical role of global collaboration in addressing emerging infectious threats.