European health officials urge pandemic preparedness amid bird flu outbreaks

EUROPEAN health authorities have been issued a warning by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, or ECDC, regarding an “unprecedented” number of outbreaks of bird flu this autumn. According to the ECDC, European countries should prioritise early detection and preparedness, including boosting hospital capacity, encouraging mask-wearing, and quarantining sick people, in order to prevent a pandemic.

New variant of bird flu spreading rapidly among wild birds, could spread to humans

This autumn, avian influenza (also called H5N1 or bird flu), has been exploding among wild birds and poultry farms, with more than 1,400 infections detected in at least 26 European countries. This represents a figure four times higher than last year, and the highest outbreak levels since 2016, nearly a decade ago.

The virus has been spreading at higher rates in recent years on a global scale, transferring to other animals including foxes, mink, and cats. Earlier this year, health officials were warned that the virus could also mutate to infect humans more easily. Widespread circulation among birds and other animals make it more likely that the virus will eventually infect humans – according to scientists, the virus is just one major mutation away from being able to infect humans en masse – posing the possible threat of a pandemic.

According to the European Food and Safety Authority, many bird flu infections this year were found among waterfowl, including in birds that appeared healthy. Additionally, since early November this year, all farms in England have been ordered to keep commercial poultry birds indoors due to the rapid spread of the virus, which is a new variant, according to health officials.

More than 100 people have been infected with H5N1 in the last year alone, though these have been mostly US farm workers. As of yet, there are no reported cases of bird flu spreading to humans in Europe this year.

ECDC outlines plan to get ahead of the possible spread

The ECDC’s plan, which was sent out to European health officials, highlights how European governments should respond in light of this new threat. Its key points include:

• Quarantining infected individuals for at least 14 days after infection is detected
• Preparing a vaccine for rapid deployment to the general public
• Intensifying surveillance at borders between countries, including testing for H5N1 at ports and airports and analysing wastewater from aircraft toilets
• Testing symptomatic patients who have recently travelled to affected countries
• Encouraging the usage of face masks and making protective gear available for high-risk individuals
• Boosting the capacity of hospitals
• Boosting laboratory testing
• Prioritising communication with the public

Many of the measures are reminiscent of the measures taken by Asian countries including South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore during the COVID-19 global pandemic, which stymied the spread of the virus and helped officials get ahead of the outbreaks.

Additionally, the UK was heavily criticised for its lack of border control during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in thousands of avoidable deaths, according to a publication of the UK’s second COVID inquiry report, concluding that the government’s response had been “too little, too late.”

Risk of bird flu spreading to humans is ‘low,’ but officials should stay vigilant

Currently, the UK Health Security Agency, or UKHSA, as well as the ECDC, say the risk of H5N1 mutating to transmit between humans is “very low.” Still, improved planning and surveillance are important in order to avoid a full-blown pandemic, according to the latter organisation.

“Although the current risk for the European people is low, avian influenza is still a serious public health threat due to widespread outbreaks among animals across Europe,” said Edoardo Colzani, Head of Respiratory Viruses at the ECDC.

All in all, European governments should prioritise preparedness for an outbreak, getting critical measures in place to be ready in case the rapidly-spreading virus mutates to infect humans.

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