The risk of H5N1 bird flu to the general population remains low, a World Health Organization (WHO) spokesman said, after the first patient death from the virus in the United States.
The patient, who was over 65 and had underlying medical conditions, was hospitalized with the virus in December after being exposed to a combination of backyard chickens and wild birds, Louisiana health officials said, as cited by Reuters.
“We are concerned, of course, but we look at the risk to the general population and … it still remains low,” WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris told reporters at a news conference in Geneva in response to questions about the risks of the virus.
Nearly 70 people in the US have contracted bird flu
Nearly 70 people in the U.S. have contracted bird flu since April, most of them farm workers, as the virus has circulated among poultry and dairy herds, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Like the WHO, US federal and state officials said the risk to the general public remains low.
Source: www.descopera.ro
