WHO spokeswoman Dr. Margaret Harris told reporters in Geneva that the H5N1 virus that causes the disease is “does not circulate in humans but jumps into humans” who are exposed to poultry or dairy cattle. “We are not seeing sustained circulation,” she insisted..
Underlying conditions
The man who died of the disease in Louisiana was over 65 and believed to have underlying health conditions, Dr. Harris said.
According to health authorities, he was exposed to chickens and wild birds. In the United States, several dozen people have contracted avian flu – commonly known as bird flu – during the current outbreak, mainly farmworkers in close contact with flocks of poultry and cattle.
Dr. Harris stressed that the WHO’s assessment of risk to the general population “is still low and remains unchanged.” The main concern is for people who work in animal industries, as they need to be better protected against infections.
The WHO spokesperson added that the United States continues to do “a lot of surveillance” of the human and animal population, “the methods we use for agriculture, for our food production… all of those things must be combined because in fact always presents a risk.
The Chinese respiratory virus is not new
Meanwhile, a respiratory virus gaining ground in China, known as human metapneumovirus, or hMPV, has attracted media attention in recent weeks, but it does not pose a new or major threat, Dr. Harris insisted. .
The UN health agency spokesperson said such infections are increasing in China “as expected during the winter”, with seasonal flu being “by far the most common of them”, as l ‘reported the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
“The levels of respiratory infections reported in China are within the usual range for the winter season,” explained Dr. Harris. “Authorities report that hospital utilization is currently lower than this time last year, and there was no emergency declaration or triggered response“, she added.
As for hMPV, it was first identified in 2001 and “has been present in the human population for a long time“, clarified Dr. Harris.
“Very, very low” risk
She added that it is a common virus that circulates in winter and spring and “usually causes respiratory symptoms similar to the common cold.”
Like any of the hundreds of known cold viruses, it can cause more severe illness in patients with weak immunity, especially, but not limited to, newborns and the elderly.
When asked about the mortality rate of hMPV, Dr. Harris described it as “very, very low.” It is not a pathogen that normally causes death in humans, except in the most vulnerable, she concluded, recommending “simple” prevention measures, such as wearing a mask, improving ventilation of enclosed spaces and hand washing.
