Experts are urgently warning that immediate action is needed to prevent a potential bird flu pandemic and "save lives".
The H5N1 strain has already made the concerning jump from birds to mammals and humans.
Scientists fear the virus could mutate further to enable human-to-human transmission, which it currently cannot do.
"H5N1's potential to spread [means] urgent action is needed to address pandemic preparedness gaps," said Dr Jesse Goodman from Georgetown University Medical Center.
Experts are urgently warning that immediate action is needed to prevent a potential bird flu pandemic and "save lives"
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"Enhancing readiness now can save lives and reduce societal and economic disruption if H5N1 or another outbreak becomes a pandemic," he added.
While most human cases have been mild - with symptoms like conjunctivitis, tiredness, and a sore throat - the virus could cause severe illness as it evolves.
Last month, the US reported its first human death from H5N1 this year, a man in his mid-60s from Louisiana.
Genetic analysis suggested the virus had evolved inside the man, potentially making it more dangerous.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) added bird flu to its list of '37 priority pathogens' with pandemic potential last year.
The virus has already spread from birds to cows, creating a pathway that allowed it to infect farm workers.
Czech scientists have raised new concerns that the highly pathogenic virus could be spreading through the air.
A recent non-peer-reviewed study examined a February 2024 H5N1 outbreak at poultry farms located eight kilometres apart.
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Researchers found striking similarities between virus strains at both locations, with some samples being 100 per cent identical.
With no direct links between the farms, contaminated food, water sources, or nearby bodies of water, scientists concluded wind was the most likely transmission method.
Experts are now calling for mRNA vaccine technology, similar to that used for Covid, to speed up production.
The scientists stressed that global cooperation is essential to ensure vaccines reach everyone, not just wealthy nations.
Experts are now calling for mRNA vaccine technology, similar to that used for Covid, to speed up production
PA"To ensure equitable access, a global access framework should be established, including an entity that can provide financing and advanced vaccine purchases for low- and middle-income countries," they wrote.
They also called for pandemic response plans to undergo "transparent in-depth testing".
The British government has taken proactive steps to prepare for a potential pandemic. Officials have procured five million doses of an H5 protein-based vaccine.
Such human-to-human transmission would mark a critical threshold that could trigger a pandemic.
