This publication discusses two cases of human infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza HPAI A(H5N1) virus reported in Viet Nam and Texas, USA, respectively. The Viet Nam case resulted in death following exposure to infected birds, while the Texas case, linked to a dairy farm outbreak, only caused mild illness. While human-to-human transmission wasn’t detected, the spread of the virus to cows and subsequent human infection raises concerns.
Since its discovery in China in 1996, HPAI A(H5N1) has evolved into multiple genetic clades, causing sporadic human infections but no sustained human transmission. However, large outbreaks in bird populations worldwide, along with reports of infection in over 40 mammalian species, raise concerns about pandemic potential. Measures to prevent such a pandemic include enhanced surveillance, careful farming planning, and vaccination.
Despite no alarm bells regarding sustained human transmission in the Texas case, the inevitability of the next flu pandemic, whether from HPAI A(H5N1) or other viruses, underscores the urgency for international leaders to agree on a pandemic accord.1
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References
- Kyle Dawson/Flickr. (2024). Editorial. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 24, 437. https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S1473-3099%2824%2900238-X
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