Bird flu's spread around the globe
Pastor Dale Morgan
Bird flu's spread around the globe*
26 Sep 2006 16:06:34 GMT
Source: Reuters
Sept 26 (Reuters) - International experts on Tuesday called on countries
to share freely all influenza virus samples and genetic sequencing data,
key to developing a vaccine against a potential bird flu pandemic.
Bird flu has spread rapidly since late 2003 from Asia to Europe, the
Middle East and Africa.
Following are some facts about the H5N1 avian flu virus and its spread
around the globe.
* Since the virus re-emerged in Asia in 2003, outbreaks have been
confirmed around 50 countries and territories, according to data from
the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).
* Since the beginning of January 2006, more than 30 countries have
reported outbreaks, in most cases involving wild birds such as swans.
* The virus has killed 146 people since 2003, according to the WHO.
Countries with confirmed human deaths are: Azerbaijan, Cambodia, China,
Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam.
* In total, the virus is known to have infected 249 people since 2003,
according to the WHO. Many of those who have died are children and young
adults.
* Vietnam and Indonesia have the highest number of cases, accounting for
93 of the total deaths.
* The H5N1 virus is not new to science and was responsible for an
outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Scotland in 1959.
Britain confirmed a new case in Scotland on April 6.
* H5N1 is not the only bird flu virus. There are numerous strains. For
example, an outbreak in 2003 of the H7N7 bird flu virus in the
Netherlands led to the destruction of more than 30 million birds, around
a third of the country's poultry stock. About 2.7 million were destroyed
in Belgium, and around 400,000 in Germany. In the Netherlands, 89 people
were infected with the H7N7 virus, of whom one (a veterinarian) died.
* The H5N1 virus made the first known jump into humans in Hong Kong in
1997, infecting 18 people and killing six of them. The government
ordered the immediate culling of the territory's entire poultry flock,
ending the outbreak.
* Symptoms of bird flu in humans have ranged from typical influenza-like
symptoms, such as fever, cough, sore throat and muscle aches, to eye
inflammations (conjunctivitis), pneumonia, acute respiratory distress,
viral pneumonia, and other severe and life-threatening complications.
(Sources: OIE, WHO, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)