Director of the Department of Epidemic Prevention and Preparedness (EPP) of the World Health Organization (WHO), Maria Van Kerkhove, assured that they are providing assistance “global epizootic” with an “alarming” situation in which infections are observed in new species, such as marine or terrestrial mammals, in addition to wild birds or poultry.

“We need much stricter animal surveillance around the world, not just in the United States, and to keep an eye on species that we know are susceptible to infection. lPrevention plays a key role in the animal and human sectors and in animal-human relationships.“Dr Van Kerkhove said during the EPI-WIN webinar “Public health risk of avian influenza A(H5N1) recently detected in dairy cattle” held this Monday.

In this sense, the technical manager of the global influenza program, Dr. Aspen Hammond, explained that in early 2024, “an unexplained illness in dairy cattle occurred that led to a drop in milk production in the United States.” that “it was actually discovered Avian influenza H5N1 in cow’s milk.

“There are also cases of H5N1 being detected in other animals near affected dairy herds, and we have heard reports of infections found in cats and raccoons, as well as wild and poultry in the area. It was reported that the milk of sick cows contains a very high viral load of H5N1., and this contrasts with the low viral load in nasal swabs collected from these cows. There are also reports that asymptomatic cows have tested positive for H5N1 and that H5N1 has also been detected in the lungs of an asymptomatic slaughterhouse cow,” Dr Hammond explained.

Similarly, infections have been reported between cows from the same herd, as well as infections between dairies associated with the movement of cattle within the United States. “It is suspected that cow-to-cow transmission is probably mechanical, but again this is one area that is being explored and a lot of work is being done to understand how the virus is transmitted to, from and between cows.” , he noted.

Avian influenza virus infections in humans can cause illness ranging from mild upper respiratory tract infections. to more serious illnesses and can be fatal. “Non-respiratory symptoms have been reported in some cases. “Conjunctivitis, gastrointestinal symptoms, encephalitis and encephalopathy have also been reported in previous human infections with the A(H5N1) virus,” Dr. Hammond said.

However, the expert emphasized that the available epidemiological and virological data indicate that “influenza A(H5) viruses have not acquired the ability for sustained transmission between people, so the likelihood of infection is low.” Thus, experts recalled that the H5N1 avian flu “is not only in the United States, but emerged in 1996 and has been endemic since 2002 or has spread throughout the world.” but “this is the first time this has been observed in cows.”

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In this context, the Head of the WHO Division of Nutrition Standards and Scientific Advice, Dr Moez Sanaa, recommended:“Do not consume raw milk, eggs or meat, especially in areas where there have been outbreaks of influenza on farms,” and also “consume pasteurized or properly boiled milk,” that is, “do not consume raw milk.”

(Europe Press)