Home » Health » The risk of avian influenza virus transmission to humans is low

The risk of avian influenza virus transmission to humans is low


At the request of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, RIVM has made a risk assessment of possible transmission from animals to humans of the avian flu strains found in wild birds and poultry farming in recent weeks. This risk is low.

Type H5N8 has been found at poultry farms in the Netherlands. The type H5N1 has also been found in wild birds in the Netherlands. Furthermore, the type H5N5 has been found in wild birds in Germany and Denmark. The RIVM has determined the risk for these 3 avian flu strains, which is low.

For the H5N1 variant, the genetic composition of the type found in the Netherlands is different from that of the H5N1 found in Asia, among others. There are currently no public health concerns for the viruses found in the Netherlands. The situation is monitored for all 3 viruses and more information will follow as soon as it becomes available.


Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.