Avian Flu Epidemic
Updated November 2007
Currently there is no pandemic flu.
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Confirmed Human Cases of Avian Influenza 169
Confirmed Human deaths from Avian Influenza: 91
Avian influenza - confirmed in bird population :Italy
Avian influenza - confirmed in bird population :Czech Republic
Avian influenza - Suspected in bird population :Bulgaria
Avian influenza - Suspected in bird population :Austria
Avian influenza - confirmed in bird population :Germany
Avian influenza - confirmed in bird population :France
Avian influenza - confirmed in bird population :Iraq
Avian influenza - confirmed in human population :Iraq
Avian influenza - confirmed in bird population :China
Avian influenza - confirmed in human population :China
Avian influenza - confirmed in bird population :Thailand
Avian influenza - confirmed in human population :Thailand
Avian influenza - confirmed in bird population :Cambodia
Avian influenza - confirmed in human population :Cambodia
Avian influenza - confirmed in bird population :Indonesia
Avian influenza - confirmed in human population :Indonesia
Avian influenza - confirmed in bird population :Turkey
Avian influenza - confirmed in human population : Turkey
Avian influenza - confirmed in bird population :Greece
Avian influenza - confirmed in bird population :Nigeria
Avian influenza - confirmed in bird population :India
Avian influenza - confirmed in bird population :Egypt
Avian influenza - confirmed in bird population :Great Britain
An avian flu pandemic that spreads from human to human will probably cause a greater loss of life than World War I. A recent UN report said in a recent estimate that Bird flu 'could kill 150m people'. Avian flu is caused by a naturally occuring avian influenza virus. The virus strain most resistant to antibiotics is known as H5N1.
What You Should Know about Bird Flu
H5N1 is spread among birds. It gets spread to people who come into close proximity with infected birds.
The mortality rate for this virus reported in February 2006 is 54% in humans,
In the 1918 flu pandemic the mortality rate was just 2.5%, and that pandemic
caused more deaths than World War One.
Infection control policy is the extermination of infected birds. However,
as the strain enters wild bird poulations this will become an unworkable policy.
Bird Flu vaccine development will take years.
Health Professionals are being advised by their respective governments.
Poultry Industry fears serious economic hardship as people stop eating chicken.
If we do get to a situation where the disease is spread from person to person
then the wearing of a bird flu mask may prove the best course of action to
stop the disease spreading.
World Health
Organisation
At the start of February 2007 More than 2,600 turkeys died from the H5N1 virus on Bernard Matthews, is at Holton near Lowestoft in East Anlia, UK; and a cull of the remainder of the 159,000 birds on the site was announced.