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Sat, 09:48 24 Oct 2009 GMT17

 
Bird flu

Last reviewed: 09-12-2008

THREAT OF A GLOBAL PANDEMIC


An Indonesian man transports live chickens to a market in Jakarta.<br> REUTERS/Crack Palinggi
An Indonesian man transports live chickens to a market in Jakarta.
REUTERS/Crack Palinggi
Avian flu is devastating bird populations around the globe but if the virus acquires the ability to jump easily between humans it could unleash a pandemic, killing millions of people within months.

  • Bird flu confirmed in around 60 countries
  • No cure exists
  • Developing countries most at risk

    The current outbreak, which originated in southeast Asia in 2003, has spread to the Middle East, Europe, South Asia and Africa.

    More than 240 people have died around the world from the H5N1 strain. Almost all have caught it from birds, but scientists believe there have been a few cases of human to human transmission.

    A human pandemic would be particularly catastrophic in developing countries where living conditions and malnutrition are likely to make people more vulnerable, health services are weak and vaccines and antivirals would be beyond reach.

    Even if there is no pandemic, bird flu will threaten the livelihoods of millions of people in Asia and Africa as health officials carry out mass poultry cullings and other countries ban imports.

    Hundreds of millions of domestic birds - most owned by poor farmers in developing countries - have died or been culled.

    Countries with human deaths: Azerbaijan, Cambodia, China, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Laos, Nigeria, Pakistan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam. Bangladesh, Djibouti and Myanmar have also reported human cases but not deaths.


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