On June 6, WHO spokesperson Gregory Hartl stated that the World Health Organization (WHO) has found no evidence indicating that the H5N1 virus has become more transmissible from birds to humans. This statement follows concerns expressed by a senior health official in Indonesia regarding this issue.
Previously, Bayu Krisnamurthi, the Chairman of Indonesia’s National Committee for Avian Influenza Control, indicated that the H5N1 virus may have undergone a mutation, potentially making it easier to transmit from birds to humans.
According to a microbiologist on this committee, these suspicions are based on initial laboratory findings. He confirmed that he has observed “gradual changes” in the H5N1 virus samples he receives each month. He noted that the amino acid structure in the samples from infected birds increasingly resembles that of human virus samples, which could enhance the transmissibility of the H5N1 virus to humans.
Previously, scientists confirmed that the H5N1 virus in birds had mutated and become more transmissible among birds. However, this virus remains difficult to transmit from birds to humans because human cells have a different receptor structure compared to birds. Nevertheless, scientists continue to express concern over the risk of the H5N1 virus mutating into a strain that can easily transmit from human to human, potentially leading to a pandemic.
According to the WHO, Indonesia has the highest number of avian influenza-related deaths in the world, with 79 fatalities. To date, the global death toll from avian influenza has reached 188 individuals.
