Outbreaks of bird flu in mammals doubled last year
(MENAFN) Animal diseases are increasingly jumping across species barriers, with outbreaks of bird flu in mammals more than doubling in 2024 and other zoonotic infections continuing to spread, according to a new global assessment of animal health.
The first annual report released by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) highlighted a sharp rise in cases where animal diseases are appearing in regions previously unaffected. Nearly half—47%—of these outbreaks are classified as zoonotic, meaning they have the potential to transmit from animals to humans.
In 2023, 459 bird flu outbreaks were documented in mammals. That number surged to 1,022 in 2024, affecting 55 countries worldwide.
The report cited several contributing factors to the increase, including climate change, a growing global trade in animals, and a 5% drop in livestock vaccination rates between 2020 and 2022.
“The spread, prevalence and impact of infectious animal diseases is changing, bringing new challenges for agriculture and food security, human health and development, and natural ecosystems,” said Emmanuelle Soubeyran, director general of WOAH.
“By launching a new, annual assessment of the state of the world’s animal health, WOAH shines a light on our interconnected health issues and the solutions that can improve animal health and, by extension, global health,” she added.
She emphasized the urgent need for increased global cooperation and equal access to effective vaccines, along with broader disease control strategies, to curb the spread of dangerous infections.
The report's release comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed nine new cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in Saudi Arabia, a disease that spreads from camels to humans and causes flu-like respiratory symptoms. Between March 1 and April 25, two of the reported cases proved fatal.
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