The situation regarding avian influenza continues to evolve in Europe and globally, with reports of new outbreaks in birds and occasional infections in mammals. Sporadic human infections have been reported in countries outside the EU, while the risk to the public in the EU remains low.
As of 3 March 2023, ECDC will de-escalate BA.2, BA.4 and BA.5 from its list of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC), as these parental lineages are no longer circulating.
In February 2023, Cambodia reported a family cluster in Sithor Kandal district, Prey Veng province, with two people (a girl and her father) infected with avian influenza A(H5N1) virus.
Immediate health needs following earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria are mostly related to trauma and the disruption of healthcare, however, infectious disease threats may be concerning in the following two to four weeks.
What is avian influenza (bird flu)? Why are we concerned about bird flu outbreaks? What are the control measures in birds and animals? How do outbreaks of avian influenza spread? etc.