To monitor cases of avian influenza A (H5N1) in the Americas, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) launched an interactive dashboard on the web today.
The page presents tables and maps showing outbreaks in humans, domestic birds, wild birds and mammals in the area, the latter with data obtained from the World Organization for Animal Health.
In addition, it provides information on the symptoms that patients have presented, based on data provided by the countries. Experts hope that such information will allow public health authorities to be better prepared to detect and make quick decisions in the event of an outbreak.
According to the platform, in 2024, 66 confirmed human cases were reported in the United States and one in Canada, as well as more than 1,300 outbreaks in animals in several countries in the region.
To date, no human-to-human transmission has been identified
Last December, PAHO published an assessment of the public health risks associated with the potential occurrence of zoonotic avian influenza A(H5N1) in Latin America and the Caribbean, classifying them as moderate.
Accurate and real-time information
It also published a chronology of avian influenza in the region, which includes key events from 2020 to December 2024. In a context of growing concern about the spread of this disease, the availability of accurate and real-time information is key for authorities to prepare, prevent new outbreaks and protect public and animal health in the region.
