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Dive Briefing:
U.S. health officials said Thursday 3 additional human infections confirmed An outbreak of avian flu linked to a poultry farm in Colorado has been discovered, bringing the statewide total to 10.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the three cases were at a Weld County egg farm that was not connected to another nearby farm that reported six cases. A Colorado dairy worker tested positive earlier this month.
The United States has reported 14 human cases since the outbreak began in 2022, with Colorado reporting the most of any state. The virus is also spreading rapidly among people around the world. Asia Pacific RegionThis led the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization to call for urgent efforts to slow the outbreak.
Dive Insight:
As cases rise in the United States and around the world, pressure is growing on governments to implement coordinated measures to combat avian flu and slow its spread from animals to people.
Globally, the H5N1 avian influenza virus has spread more widely than ever before, reaching South America and Antarctica. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. New animals have also been infected, including marine mammals, pets, and ruminants such as dairy cattle.
In addition, public health officials have expressed great concern about the emergence of new variants that pose challenges to scientists and local health officials. According to the FAO, the new A/H5N1 strain is more easily transmitted, increasing the threat of a potential pandemic.
“The recent surge in avian influenza cases is deeply concerning,” said Katzen Wongsattapornchai, regional director of FAO’s Transboundary Animal Disease Emergency Centre, in a statement. “Immediate and coordinated preventive action is essential.”
Cambodia recently reported 13 human cases, and more populous Pacific Rim countries like China and Vietnam have had additional cases since 2023. People have also tested positive for the virus in Australia, Chile, Ecuador, Spain and the United Kingdom in the past two years, according to the CDC.
In the United States, 13 people have tested positive for bird flu since April. As of July 26, CDCThe only previous human case in the United States was found in a poultry worker in Colorado in 2022, which was the start of the current outbreak.
There is currently no evidence of human-to-human transmission, so U.S. health officials say the risk of avian flu infection to the general public is low. However, they say the risk is higher for people who work directly with infected animals.
As the virus variant continues to spread, FAO is urging member countries to create a coordinated response, implement comprehensive surveillance systems, build capacity for virus data analysis, and devise effective containment strategies. The organization also said it is essential to strengthen biosecurity measures and awareness in the poultry industry to reduce the risk of transmission.
As part of an effort to increase public transparency about Colorado's developments, the state Department of Health and Environment We launched a website tracker I plan to update twice a week.
In Colorado, health officials have tested 118 people for the virus since May, and the CDC says more than 600 workers at three farms have tested positive. got censoredAs of July 29, 10 farm workers had tested positive for that total, according to the state's online tracker, making Colorado the state with the largest human outbreak of avian flu in the United States.
