United Nations food and agriculture experts have raised alarms over the escalating bird flu crisis, which has seen widespread poultry infections and increased spillover into people and mammals globally.
In a statement from Rome, officials from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) stressed the need for improved disease monitoring, enhanced biosecurity measures, and better outbreak control to address the growing risks posed by H5N1 avian influenza.
While avian influenza has been circulating in wild birds for years, the virus’ recent transmission to mammals – including a significant outbreak among U.S. dairy cattle since last year – has caused increasing concern among public health and food safety experts.
The FAO’s Deputy Director-General Godfrey Magwenzi highlighted the severe consequences of the virus’ spread: “The spread of the virus among birds is leading to serious impacts on food security and food supply in countries, including loss of valuable nutrition, rural jobs and income, shocks to local economies, and of course, increasing costs to consumers.”
Since 2021, at least 300 wild bird species have been affected by the virus. The FAO also recommended that governments consider vaccination strategies alongside improved surveillance and biosecurity efforts to mitigate the risks.
In addition to poultry and dairy cattle, the virus has infected zoo animals, wild animals, and even domestic pets like cats. Several human infections have also been reported, with the U.S. recording its first human death from bird flu in January and 69 other cases of H5N1 infection.
A separate bird flu strain also affected a person in the United Kingdom in January after direct contact with infected birds at a farm. Although there is no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission, European health authorities have identified 34 genetic mutations in H5N1 that could facilitate its spread among humans.
In response to these concerns, the UK announced in December that it was stockpiling five million bird flu vaccines for humans, preparing for the possibility of the virus evolving to become a more significant threat.
