The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has called on its member states to take more measures to contain the spread of the highly infectious H5N1 bird flu virus. The rapid spread of the virus has reached an “unprecedented” scale, threatening to wipe out hundreds of millions of birds and increasingly affecting mammals, the FAO announced in Rome.
According to the FAO’s deputy general director, Godfrey Magwenzi, the crisis could have “serious impacts” on food security and the supply of essential food items, including job losses and income reductions in rural areas, shocks to local economies and subsequently rising costs for consumers.
A significant number of wild birds have already fallen victim to the disease in recent years, harming biodiversity. At least 300 new wild bird species have been affected since 2021.
The FAO’s deputy general director, Beth Bechdol, said the issue is a transboundary one that requires a global, coordinated response. “The FAO has been at the forefront of the fight against this virus for over 20 years and supports governments in identifying, preventing and responding to outbreaks” Bechdol said.
To strengthen these efforts, the FAO and the World Organisation for Animal Health have launched a 10-year global strategy to prevent and combat the highly pathogenic avian influenza.