In a recent Senate Committee briefing, Dr. Robert Califf, the head of the FDA, announced proactive measures being implemented in preparation for a potential bird flu pandemic that could prove deadly to a significant portion of the infected population.
He highlighted that while the risk of transmission to humans remains low, the agency is not taking any chances, according to Daily Mail.
Dr. Califf reported that only one human case has been confirmed so far—a farm worker in Texas this past March. Despite this, the potential for the virus to mutate and spread to humans necessitates rigorous preparedness.
The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) previously issued a health alert after confirming the first human case of the novel avian influenza A(H5N1) in the state.
The infected individual fell ill after coming into contact with dairy cows believed to be carrying the avian flu, with conjunctivitis being the primary symptom reported. This incident marks only the second time the avian influenza A(H5N1) virus has been identified in a human in the United States.
The case is linked to recent findings of the virus in dairy cows, as announced by the Texas Animal Health Commission.
In March 2024, testing for influenza was conducted on several animals in Texas and Kansas due to signs of illness. These animals included wild birds, cats, and dairy cows. Some of these tests returned positive for avian influenza A(H5N1), marking the first time the virus has been detected in cattle within the United States.
The man developed pink eye but no respiratory symptoms, according to Mirror.
“This virus, like all viruses, is mutating,” Dr. Califf claimed to the lawmakers. “We need to continue to prepare for the possibility that it might jump to humans.”
The FDA’s primary concern centers on the possibility of the virus mutating to affect human lungs—a scenario previously observed in other regions where the mortality rate has escalated to 25 percent, or one in every four infected individuals.
This warning isn’t new. Last February 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) emphasized that countries should brace themselves for a potential pandemic caused by H5N1.
“H5N1 has spread widely in wild birds and poultry for 25 years, but the recent spillover to mammals needs to be monitored closely. For the moment, WHO assesses the risk to humans as low,” he added.
According to Tedros, they have only seen “rare and non-sustained transmission of H5N1 to and between humans” since H5N1 first emerged in 1996.
“But we cannot assume that will remain the case, and we must prepare for any change in the status quo. As always, people are advised not to touch or collect dead or sick wild animals, but to report them to the local authorities,” he continued.
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