The WHO maintains the global risk of bird flu at low, despite infections in livestock

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported this Friday that it maintains the global health risk of avian flu at a "low" level despite the discovery in cattle and even in the milk of these animals of the H5N1 virus that causes this disease. whose fatality rate in humans still exceeds 50%. In a report issued together with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Organization for Animal Health (WHO), the WHO maintains that level, although it raises it to "between low and moderate" for people exposed to sick birds and other animals, or to "contaminated environments" with the virus. "There is still limited evidence of adaptation (of H5N1) to mammals and humans, although it is suspected that there has already been transmission between mammals," the agencies indicated. However, WHO, FAO and WHOA urge States to maintain close surveillance of cases in birds, and to investigate and report possible infections in non-avian species such as those that make up domestic ...