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European countries must redouble efforts to combat the threat of bird flu amid an unprecedented number of outbreaks this autumn, health authorities have warned.
Bird flu is spiking among wild birds and on poultry farms. Since September, More than 1,400 infections have been detected in at least 26 European countriesfour times more than a year ago and the highest level since 2016.
This increases the risk of the virus being transmitted to peopleaccording to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). In recent years the virus has spread to higher levels around the world and has occasionally jumped from birds to mammals, including foxes, mink and cats.
The widespread circulation among birds makes it more likely that the virus will end up reaching people, something that, according to virologists, could pose a pandemic threat.
“Although the current risk to the European population is low, avian flu remains a serious threat to public health due to widespread outbreaks among animals throughout Europe”Edoardo Colzani, head of respiratory viruses at the ECDC, said in a statement.
The agency’s recommendations include strengthening virological surveillance and laboratory testing, ensuring that there is protective equipment for those most at risk, such as poultry farm workers, and clear communication with citizens.
The organization also called for close collaboration between veterinary, agricultural and public health authorities. “We must ensure that early warning signs do not go unnoticed and that public health actions are timely, coordinated and effective,” Colzani said.
Many bird flu infections this autumn have been detected in waterfowl, even in birds that appeared healthy, according to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Most were due to a new variant of the virus that is spreading rapidly in Europe.
At the beginning of this year, European health and food safety authorities warned that bird flu viruses could mutate to infect people more easily.
