Slow testing could undermine bird flu response

Across the United States, an increasing number of cattle herds have tested positive for avian influenza (H5N1). The virus has been detected on every continent (including penguins in Antarctica), continues to circulate among wild birds, and has been detected in more than 50 species of mammals. Cattle are just the latest in a series of zoonotic diseases that have cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

A 21-year-old man in Vietnam died from the virus in March. Dairy worker falls ill with mild illness.And just this week, a child traveling from India Diagnosed with H5N1 in Australia.

Human spillover has so far only led to isolated cases, with no confirmed human-to-human transmission. Of the 874 reported H5N1 infections in 23 countries since 2004, 458 have died, a case fatality rate of over 50%. This does not mean that a major pandemic would follow the same pattern if the avian virus were to start spreading from person to person, but it clearly reflects that now is the time to start taking serious preparations.

The first thing you need to do right is monitoring and testing. The organization I chair, FIND, works with partners such as the World Health Organization (WHO), CEPI and the 100 Day Mission to ensure countries have access to quality diagnostic tests, treatments and vaccines. is.

Animal experiments are being conducted, but their ease and frequency have surprising limitations. Bird flu has been detected in so many cattle in the United States that the disease could have been circulating undetected for months. In the UK, despite the situation across the Atlantic, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said it did not believe cattle were at risk.

After all, the more testing we do, the better we will understand how quickly the virus is moving and mutating. Additionally, it is clearly important that testing is available everywhere so that if an outbreak is detected, people with symptoms and those who have been in close contact with infected people can be tested and isolated. At the beginning of a disease outbreak, this is the most effective way to break the chain of infection and prevent an epidemic from developing into a pandemic.

Our recent experience with the COVID-19 pandemic does not mean that an avian flu outbreak will follow the same path. Coronaviruses have hit the elderly and those with underlying conditions such as diabetes and heart disease hardest. An H5N1 outbreak may follow a completely different trajectory, given mutations between species and the nature of viruses. influenza virus

Doing testing properly, ensuring there are multiple types of effective tests that work in different resource settings, and ensuring there is diversity in manufacturers providing tests is critical in preparing for and responding to an outbreak.

Strong surveillance and accurate testing capabilities, especially for populations likely to come into contact with the virus, such as farm workers and people who live in close contact with animals, are essential to establishing the genetic sequence of the virus; Essential for establishing gene sequences. the development of treatments and other countermeasures, including vaccines; The earlier we detect outbreaks of H5N1 or other pathogens with pandemic potential, the more likely we are to address them before they cross borders.

Earlier this year, FIND partnered with the 100-day mission to identify pandemic Potentially approved tests, treatments, and vaccines are limited for everything but COVID-19 and Ebola. This is frankly illogical and poses a significant risk to our collective health security. We should not wait for an outbreak to occur before ramping up investment in countermeasures.

These gaps in the global blueprint for pandemic preparedness and response are exactly what government leaders will discuss as they negotiate a pandemic agreement in Geneva. There is limited time left to complete the international instrument by the end of May deadline, and if leaders fail to prevent a repeat of the inequities that have undermined the COVID-19 response, future prospects will be at risk. It will be a failure for generations. and This resulted in more than 14.9 million excess deaths in 2021. A study in the journal Nature states: Over 1 million people People died needlessly because they couldn't share the vaccine.

Accurate and accessible diagnostic testing and surveillance are the first steps in an effective response that can stop the spread of infection. The animal kingdom is already devastated, but are we listening?

• Dr. Ayoade Alakija is the Chair of FIND

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