The ministry urged the public to avoid direct contact with wild birds and domestic poultry that may be infected.
SINGAPORE - While there are no confirmed human cases of bird flu in Singapore and the risk of contracting it is low, the Republic needs to stay vigilant and safeguard against infections, the Ministry of Health said.
Birds are not the only animal source of infection. There have been recent cases of humans contracting bird flu in the US after coming into contact with infected cows. From 2003 to 2024, 889 cases of bird flu were reported and more than half of these, or 463 cases, were fatal. This translates to a fatality rate of 52 per cent and the deaths, caused by the H5N1 virus, were reported in 23 countries worldwide, said WHO.
Despite the recent spate of human bird flu cases, an MOH spokesman said that avian influenza viruses have not developed the capability to easily infect humans and other mammals, nor to transmit easily between humans. “Currently, these viruses are not able to spread between humans easily, which limits the outbreak or pandemic potential,” he said.
Dr Leong said that Singapore has good and accessible healthcare facilities, diagnostic capabilities and a contact-tracing system in place.
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