UK preparing 'public health response' after H5N1 virus jumps from mammals to humans in pandemic escalation

Hundreds of millions of birds have been culled worldwide in a bid to stop the virus from spreading to other species.

These efforts have now failed.

In March, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed a Texan dairy worker had contracted avian flu from a cow.

This would be the first reported case of mammal-to-human H5N1 virus transmission reported worldwide.

Health officials are now scrambling to contain a multistate outbreak in cattle and poultry across 13 states.

Since April, four dairy workers have tested positive for bird flu, or H5N1.

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed another six poultry workers - and a seventh case is pending.

These human cases have all been mild and isolated. Patients have presented with typical flu symptoms such as fever and chills.

As our exclusive investigation reveals, this is cold comfort. The spillover from cows to humans is a startling development.

In response, countries are ramping up surveillance efforts and stockpiling vaccines.

As fears mount about a new human pandemic, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has updated its risk assessment.

The UKHSA Chief Medical Advisor Dr Susan Hopkins said: “The recent outbreak in US dairy cattle demonstrates that influenza A(H5N1) continues to infect new mammals and spread between them.

“While the current risk to the UK population from influenza A(H5N1) virus remains very low, an outbreak of this kind can increase the opportunities the virus has to evolve to spread between people at some point in the future. This is because the virus may adapt directly during transmission between mammals or may reassort with other flu viruses in humans or other mammals.

“UKHSA will continue to monitor the situation closely alongside Defra, DHSC, Animal and Plant Health Agency and Food Standards Agency.

“UKHSA has established preparations in place for detections of human cases of avian flu and stands ready to initiate an appropriate public health response should it be needed.”

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Preparing for the worst 

Many countries, including America, are stockpiling H5N1 vaccines as part of their contingency plans and new ones are in the pipeline.

In May, WHO initiated a review of available influenza candidate vaccines and confirmed that they would work against the H5N1 virus circulating in cattle.

“Although the current public health risk is low, WHO is operating in a constant state of readiness for a potential influenza pandemic,” said Maria Van Kerkhove, who heads epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention at the WHO.

Last month, the European Commission purchased roughly 700,000 doses of a flu vaccine manufactured by CSL Seqirus, in Maidenhead, UK, with the option to buy another 40 million.

The vaccine protects against H5 strains of influenza A. Also in June, Finland began vaccinating people against avian influenza, focusing on high-risk workers at fur and poultry farms.

Across the pond, pharmaceutical giant Moderna is developing an mRNA vaccine against bird flu.

How quickly countries would run down their stock of vaccines and how effective they would be in the event of a pandemic remains to be seen.