Rapid risk assessment: Potential resurgence of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza

The increased reports of A(H5N1) outbreaks in poultry and wild bird populations, and the emergence of a further evolved lineage of the virus in poultry in some countries, do not change the current assessment of the risk to human health. This is still considered to be very low in EU/EEA countries. However, vigilance for avian influenza in domestic poultry and wild birds in Europe remains important. In the countries where A(H5N1) is entrenched in wild bird populations and is occasionally transmitted to domestic poultry, rare and sporadic human infections in individuals who have contact with this poultry (or wild birds) are to be expected and should be considered as background cases. Constant vigilance should be maintained for any enlargement in A(H5N1) cluster size or for individual human cases outside of the countries where the virus is entrenched in poultry.