The Importance of One Health in Preventing the Spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza/H5N1

Infections with H5N1, a type of pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus, are spreading among livestock farmers, particularly among dairy cows in the United States. Until now, HPAI/H5N1 has rarely infected humans, but transmission from H5N1-infected dairy cows to dairy workers has been reported. Additionally, cases of human-to-human transmission of H5N1 have been reported. It is thought that perhaps, during the process of repeated amplification and replication of H5N1 viral genes in the mammary tissue of dairy cows, genetic mutations occurred that make H5N1 more susceptible to human infection. As more human spillover events are identified, there is pressing need to apply a one health approach to better characterize circulating highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses in wild migratory birds globally. It is important to develop a comprehensive international strategy for surveillance and monitoring systems in wild birds so the epidemiology of HPAI can be compared between countries and regions. In this review, we discusse the importance of One Health in preventing the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza/H5N1.