H5N1 bird flu spread 'unprecedented,' UN agency warns
A United Nations food agency warned that the continued spread of the H5N1 bird flu virus is an unprecedented food security risk that requires a coordinated global response.
In a briefing held on Monday, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations cited the loss of hundreds of millions of poultry around the world and the increasing spillover into mammals as key concerns stemming from the spread of the H5N1 bird flu.
The agency noted a major shift in bird flu's geographic spread in the past four years, with at least 300 newly affected wild bird species since 2021.
Calling the spread unprecedented, FAO Deputy Director-General Godfrey Magwenzi said the disease was “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.”
FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol called for a coordinated global response, saying, "A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. By working together, we can reduce the impact of avian influenza and protect both animal and human health – locally and globally."
The agency called on countries to enhance surveillance and reporting of bird flu; improve lab capacity; develop and implement preparedness plans; consider vaccinations in the response; and to promote risk management through biosecurity.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. has 70 cases of bird flu, including 41 cattle herds as well as 24 poultry farms and culling operations. As a zoological disease, there have been no reported cases of human-to-human transmission so far and the risk to the public remains low.
Last month, the Department of Agriculture released a plan to invest $1 billion to combat the bird flu and reduce egg prices.
In Mississippi, a strain of highly pathogenic bird flu that hasn't been seen in the U.S. since 2017 was reported in a commercial flock. This occurrence is believed to be unrelated to the current H5N1 spread.
The disease has been credited with causing egg prices to spike, and restaurants have begun implementing surcharges for egg dishes. The Justice Department, however, is also reportedly investigating whether major egg producers are colluding to increase prices while using the bird flu situation as a cover.
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