Risk of bird flu spreading to humans is ‘enormous concern’, says WHO

Researchers wearing protective suits collect samples of wildlife where the H5N1 bird flu virus was detected in the Chilean Antarctic Territory last month. Photograph: Instituto Antartico Chileno/Reuters

The World Health Organization has raised concerns about the spread of H5N1 bird flu, which has an “extraordinarily high” mortality rate in humans.

An outbreak that began in 2020 has led to the deaths or killing of tens of millions of poultry. Most recently, the spread of the virus within several mammal species, including in domestic cattle in the US, has increased the risk of spillover to humans, the WHO said.