A new strain of bird flu, identified as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N9, has been confirmed at a duck farm in Merced County, California, marking the first detection of this variant in poultry within the United States, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) reported.
The outbreak, confirmed on January 13, led to the culling of all 119,000 ducks at the affected farm. The Paris-based WOAH, which monitors global animal diseases, said the origin of the outbreak remains unknown. Additionally, the H5N1 strain of bird flu, already prevalent in US animals, was also detected at the site.
US animal health officials have launched comprehensive investigations and heightened surveillance in response to the discovery, according to the WOAH report.
The emergence of this new strain comes amid health experts’ warnings about the pandemic potential of bird flu. Scientists have expressed concerns about the virus mutating into a strain capable of human-to-human transmission, particularly if an individual is co-infected with bird flu and seasonal flu.
So far, 67 cases of bird flu have been reported in humans in the United States, with one death recorded earlier this month, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). All cases were attributed to direct exposure to infected animals, with no evidence of human-to-human transmission, the CDC said.
The timing of this development coincides with the United States’ decision to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO), raising concerns among health experts about global virus surveillance and cooperation. The WHO warned last week that the lack of US involvement could hinder international efforts to track and control diseases like bird flu, calling the withdrawal “a concern for global health.”
Scientists are urging US authorities to intensify surveillance, share critical data, and maintain global partnerships to prevent potential pandemics linked to the evolving bird flu strains.
