The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Thursday called for urgent and coordinated action in response to the increasing cases of avian influenza across the Asia-Pacific region.
As per multiple outlets, the outbreak is impacting both humans and animals throughout the area.
According to the FAO, the H5N1 virus has spread to new territories, including South America and Antarctica, and is now infecting new species.
Meanwhile, Kachen Wongsathapornchai, the regional manager of the FAO's Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases, highlighted the rise in human cases since late 2023 and the virus's spread to new animal species.
He added, "The emergence of novel A/H5N1 strains, which are more easily transmissible, increases the pandemic threat. Immediate, coordinated preventive measures are essential."
The FAO noted 13 new human infections in Cambodia since late 2023, with additional cases in China and Vietnam.
Areas like the Greater Mekong subregion, Indonesia, and the Philippines are under increased scrutiny due to their diverse ecosystems and limited biosecurity measures.
While, India, Nepal, and Bangladesh are also battling outbreaks, while Thailand and Myanmar have not reported outbreaks in years.
The FAO urged countries to implement comprehensive surveillance systems, including full genome sequencing, to monitor the virus's spread and evolution.
Australia recently reported a human H5N1 case amid three bird flu outbreaks.
