The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) says the rapid spread of the highly infectious avian flu virus H5N1 has reached an “unprecedented” scale, wiping out hundreds of millions of birds worldwide and increasingly spilling over into mammals.

FAO’s deputy director-general Godfrey Magwenzi said this while briefing member states in Rome on Tuesday.

The official called for urgent action to strengthen biosecurity, surveillance and rapid-response mechanisms to curb the outbreak.

Mr Magwenzi stressed that the crisis threatened to have “serious impacts on food security and food supply in countries, including loss of valuable nutrition, rural jobs and income, shocks to local economies, and of course, increasing costs to consumers.”

With millions relying on poultry for meat and eggs, the challenge is to contain the virus and protect food production systems.

The economic impact is also being felt worldwide. For example, egg prices reached a record high in the United States during February, according to the U.S. Consumer Price Index, with farmers forced to slaughter more than 166 million birds as the avian flu spread – mostly egg-laying chickens.

So far this year, more than 30 million birds in the U.S. have been killed, according to news reports.

FAO Deputy Director-General Beth Bechdol underlined the need for a global, coordinated response, calling H5N1 a “transboundary” threat that no country could tackle alone.

FAO and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) launched a ten-year Global Strategy for the Prevention and Control of High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza to address the crisis.

“A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. By working together, we can reduce the impact of avian influenza and protect both animal and human health – locally and globally,” Mr Bechdol said.

Over the past four years, H5N1 has expanded to new regions, causing massive losses in domestic birds, disrupting food supplies and increasing poultry prices.

At least 300 new wild bird species have been affected since 2021, posing a serious threat to biodiversity.

FAO reaffirmed its commitment to global monitoring, data sharing and technical guidance to help countries contain the virus.

Mr Bechdol also stressed the importance of private sector engagement, particularly in developing vaccines, diagnostics and high-quality animal health services.

The briefing also included a third call for funding proposals under the Pandemic Fund hosted by the World Bank.

Over the past two years, FAO has co-led dozens of Pandemic Fund projects to strengthen disease surveillance, early warning systems and health infrastructure to prevent future outbreaks.

(NAN)