Dive Brief:
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U.S. health officials have confirmed three additional human cases of bird flu linked to a Colorado poultry farm outbreak, bringing the statewide total to 10. The cases came from a Weld County egg farm unrelated to another site that reported six cases. A Colorado dairy worker also tested positive earlier this month.
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The U.S. has reported a total of 14 human cases since the outbreak began in 2022, with Colorado reporting the highest number. The virus has been rapidly spreading in the Asia-Pacific region, leading the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to call for urgent efforts to slow the outbreak.
Dive Insight:
A growing number of cases in the U.S. and globally is putting pressure on governments to implement coordinated action to combat avian influenza and slow transmission. The H5N1 bird flu virus has spread widely, reaching South America and Antarctica. It has also been infecting new animals, including marine mammals and domestic pets.
Public health officials are concerned about a new variant of the virus that is more easily transmissible, posing a potential pandemic threat. The recent surge in avian influenza outbreaks has prompted the FAO to call for immediate, coordinated preventive measures.
Countries like Cambodia, China, and Vietnam have reported human cases, with the virus also detected in Australia, Chile, Ecuador, Spain, and the United Kingdom. In the U.S., 13 people have tested positive for bird flu since April.
While there is no evidence of person-to-person spread, the risk of infection is higher among those working directly with infected animals. FAO is urging member countries to create a unified response, strengthen biosecurity measures, and increase awareness in the poultry industry.
In Colorado, health officials have tested 118 people for the virus, with 10 farm workers confirmed positive. The state has launched a website tracker to provide public transparency on the situation, updating twice a week.