Risk of bird flu spreading to cows outside US, says WHO

30/4/2024 19:10

        A World Health Organization official said on Tuesday there was a risk of H5N1 bird flu virus spreading to cows in other countries beyond the United States
        through migratory birds.
        
        U.S. officials are seeking to verify the safety of milk and meat after confirming the H5N1 virus in 34 dairy cattle herds in nine states since late March, and in one person in Texas.
        
        "With the virus carried around the world by migratory birds, certainly there is a risk for cows in other countries to be getting infected," said Wenqing Zhang, head of WHO's Global Influenza Programme at a news briefing in Geneva.
        
        She reiterated that the U.N. agency deems the overall public health risk posed by the virus to be low but urged vigilance.
        
        Asked to evaluate U.S. transparency on the outbreak so far, Zhang said the global body had received regular updates and praised a decision to share the virus genetic sequence early.