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01-24-2005, 01:19 PM
Saw this one the news here, looked you some articles, looks like it will happen. Something happened in Thialand someone died of a human related bird flu or something like that :dunno: , just barely heard it on the news. But heres an article:
WHO issues alert over flu pandemic fears
By Frances Williams in Geneva
Published: January 21 2005 02:00 |
The World Health Organis-ation yesterday warned a global influenza pandemic based on the deadly bird flu virus "may be imminent" and again called on countries and drug companies to develop a vaccine.
The warning came as Vietnam reported the death of an 18-year-old girl from the virus and said it had confirmed the first case of human infection in the north of the country. Up to 10 more suspected human cases are under investigation. In a report to this week's meeting of its executive board, WHO said the H5N1 bird flu virus was endemic in poultry in east Asia and appeared to be evolving "in ways that increasingly favour the start of a pandemic".
There were similarities with the virus that caused the 1918 flu pandemic, in which more than 40m people died, WHO noted. It cited the severity of the illness, its concentration among young, healthy people and the occurrence of primary viral pneumonia which cannot be treated with antibiotics.
A mutated virus that transmitted easily between humans would probably be less pathogenic than bird flu, which has killed 38 people in Vietnam and Thailand since the outbreaks of the H5N1 virus in poultry were reported last year.
However, since no one is immune to this virus, even on a best-case scenario WHO experts believe there could be up to 7m deaths, and at worst up to 100m could die, with up to a third of the population falling ill. The two most recent pandemics, in 1957 and 1968, together claimed more than 3m lives.
WHO, which is urging its 192 member governments to draw up plans to cope with a flu pandemic, said efforts to develop a vaccine had made progress "but not with a speed appropriate to the urgency of the situation". Since there would not be enough vaccine supplies to meet global needs, countries should consider quarantine and travel restrictions. "Each day gained could mean an additional 5m doses of vaccine," it said.
Yesterday's death brings to 26 the human death toll from bird flu in Vietnam. There have also been 12 deaths in Thailand, which this week confirmed the first outbreaks of the virus in poultry in two months.
WHO issues alert over flu pandemic fears
By Frances Williams in Geneva
Published: January 21 2005 02:00 |
The World Health Organis-ation yesterday warned a global influenza pandemic based on the deadly bird flu virus "may be imminent" and again called on countries and drug companies to develop a vaccine.
The warning came as Vietnam reported the death of an 18-year-old girl from the virus and said it had confirmed the first case of human infection in the north of the country. Up to 10 more suspected human cases are under investigation. In a report to this week's meeting of its executive board, WHO said the H5N1 bird flu virus was endemic in poultry in east Asia and appeared to be evolving "in ways that increasingly favour the start of a pandemic".
There were similarities with the virus that caused the 1918 flu pandemic, in which more than 40m people died, WHO noted. It cited the severity of the illness, its concentration among young, healthy people and the occurrence of primary viral pneumonia which cannot be treated with antibiotics.
A mutated virus that transmitted easily between humans would probably be less pathogenic than bird flu, which has killed 38 people in Vietnam and Thailand since the outbreaks of the H5N1 virus in poultry were reported last year.
However, since no one is immune to this virus, even on a best-case scenario WHO experts believe there could be up to 7m deaths, and at worst up to 100m could die, with up to a third of the population falling ill. The two most recent pandemics, in 1957 and 1968, together claimed more than 3m lives.
WHO, which is urging its 192 member governments to draw up plans to cope with a flu pandemic, said efforts to develop a vaccine had made progress "but not with a speed appropriate to the urgency of the situation". Since there would not be enough vaccine supplies to meet global needs, countries should consider quarantine and travel restrictions. "Each day gained could mean an additional 5m doses of vaccine," it said.
Yesterday's death brings to 26 the human death toll from bird flu in Vietnam. There have also been 12 deaths in Thailand, which this week confirmed the first outbreaks of the virus in poultry in two months.