Low Risk of H5N1 Bird Flu in the U.S.: WHO Assurance

The World Health Organization reassured that the general population's risk from H5N1 bird flu remains low, despite a U.S. patient's death. Affected predominantly are farmworkers, with 70 cases reported since April. U.S. officials echo the WHO's assessment, citing effective surveillance efforts.

Following the first recorded death of a patient in the United States from H5N1 bird flu, a spokesperson from the World Health Organization confirmed that the risk to the general population remains low. The patient, aged over 65 with underlying conditions, contracted the virus in December after exposure to both backyard chickens and wild birds, Louisiana health officials reported.

Margaret Harris, the WHO spokesperson, addressed concerns at a Geneva press briefing, emphasizing that the widespread risk remains minimal. In response to queries about the adequacy of U.S. monitoring, Harris reassured that authorities are conducting extensive surveillance, enabling prompt detection of cases.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that nearly 70 people, predominantly farmworkers, have been infected with bird flu in recent months. However, like the WHO, both federal and state health officials maintain that the threat to the general public is low.

(With inputs from agencies.)