March 18 (UPI) — A United Nations health agency has called the spread of H5N1 bird flu “unprecedented” and called on world leaders to coordinate a global response.
On Monday, the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization cited hundreds of millions of poultry lost around the world as concern rises among health experts over the spread of the H5N1 bird flu and its spillover into other mammals, including cows.
Godfrey Magwenzi, deputy director-general of FAO, said that the growing health crisis has a “serious impact on food security and food supply in countries, including loss of valuable nutrition, rural jobs and income, shocks to local economies, and, of course, increasing costs to consumers.”
He noted a major shift in the last four years in its geographic spread, with at least 300 new wild bird species since 2021 afflicted with bird flu, which pose “a serious threat to biodiversity.”
The United States has recorded about 70 bird flu cases of bird flu in poultry and cattle, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In addition, health officials have called for urgent action to strengthen biosecurity, surveillance and “rapid-response mechanisms” to curb the outbreak.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has scrambled to rehire federal employees working on the U.S. government’s bird flu response after they fell victim to mass firings by the administration and billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
“A chain is only as strong as its weakest link,” said FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol, as she called for a coordinated global response. “By working together, we can reduce the impact of avian influenza and protect both animal and human health — locally and globally.”
Last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released its plan to invest $1 billion to stop the spread and hopefully reduce the rising price of eggs. Some restaurants have begun to charge a surcharge on egg dishes to cover the added cost.