Bird Flu

It seems these days you can’t go anywhere without hearing about the bird flu. Sowhat’s the big deal? It’s bird flu, not a people-flu. What’s every one soworried about? What scientists all over the world are afraid of is thepossibility a person has both a regular flu and the bird flu. This flucombination could allow the strain of the H5N1 virus to mutate into a disease that is easily transmitted between humans. Since 2003, more than 60 people in South-east Asia have been killed by the H5N1virus. Only one of those deaths was suspected to have happened after catchingthe virus from another person. Only those people around the dead or dyinginfected bird are most likely to become infected. However slim the possibilitymay seem, a human to human transmitted disease may possibly be created. On Tuesday, the European Union Foreign Ministers declared the spread of birdflu, from Asia into Europe, a “global threat” which requires internationalaction. Cases of the bird flu were found in Romania and Greece. European HealthCommissioner Markos Kyprianou says, “25 EU governments lack sufficient stocksof anti-viral drugs designed to boost resistance to the common flu of such riskgroups as the elderly, the young, diabetics and others.” So what the future has in store for Europe and the Bird flu, we will just have to wait andsee.