WHO Maintains Low Public Health Risk from H5N1 Avian Influenza

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that the public health risk from the avian influenza A (H5N1) virus remains low, despite its spread among dairy cattle in the US. According to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the virus has not shown an ability to spread easily among humans.

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday that the risk to public health from the avian influenza A (H5N1) virus remained low despite its spread among dairy cattle in the United States. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said the virus had not shown signs of having acquired the ability to spread easily among humans, with 893 human cases reported since 2003.

"That remains the case, which is why at this time, WHO continues to assess the risk to public health as low," he said.