Health conditions keep bird flu-related risks extremely low

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The Ministry of Health’s Health Alerts and Emergencies Coordination Center reports that although the latest cases of avian influenza A (H5N1) have been detected in Europe and the Americas, human-to-human transmission is low, meaning The risks associated with the virus are still considered “very low for the general population”.

In this sense, according to the third update of the “Rapid Risk Assessment of Avian Influenza A (H5N1) in Spain” issued by the Coordination Center for Health Alerts and Emergencies, if cases arise in humans due to contact with infected animals or their secretions , the current available evidence shows human-to-human transmission, so the possibility of secondary cases is very low.

The health department explained that Spain has specific plans for managing these outbreaks, which include collective and individual protective measures and the monitoring of people exposed to the virus through work to detect possible cases of human infection. Additionally, these early detection measures have been intensified following a recent increase in the number of animal outbreaks.

Likewise, for people with occupational exposure to birds or minks, the risk is considered low. The Ministry of Health noted that the recent detection of infections in pet mammals in several European countries represents a relevant change and poses a new risk scenario for humans.

Current available evidence shows that human-to-human transmission and the possibility of secondary cases are very low.

However, as of the date of this risk assessment, no transmission between these mammals has been detected, and given the low likelihood of contact between pets and infected birds, the risk of human cases arising from contact with pets in Spain is considered Considered to be between low levels. And very low.

Regarding the impact on human health, the health authorities stated that although the clinical evolution of human cases infected with the H5N1 virus is often associated with severe clinical conditions (a known mortality rate of 52%), the probability of infection and transmission is low to date. Evidence from other parts of the world suggests that its potential impact on the general population is currently thought to be very low.

Between March 2022 and September 2023, 318 controls were carried out on 447 workers under the Spanish Program for the Surveillance and Control of Avian Influenza in Humans Associated with Animal Outbreaks, and although the virus was detected in samples, no infections were found Two asymptomatic workers were reported to have environmental contamination.

Despite the scale of the current animal outbreak, the largest recorded globally to date, only 15 confirmed human cases have been reported from the start of the 2021-2022 season through August 2023 (five of which were reported as contacts workers contaminated with the virus), including 2 deaths worldwide.