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Asia Pacific
Bird flu disease threatens to dwarf tsunami deaths
More new fatal cases of Avian (bird) flu in humans are being reported every day in South East Asia, and health scientists are warning that the disease could evolve into a pandemic, potentially threatening a global death toll of up to 50 million people. The disease may be moving faster than preventative measures, reports earlywarning.
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) biggest concern is that the virus may mutate into a form easily spread from person-to-person, potentially sparking a pandemic.
The WHO is bracing for reports of outbreaks across south-east Asia and neighboring China. “We expect the situation to get worse,” said Mr Cordingley , a Manila-based WHO spokesman.
While all those victims are believed to have had direct contact with chickens, public officials fear the virus could mutate into a form that can spread efficiently from human to human, triggering a lethal global pandemic. “If this pandemic comes, it will dwarf the tsunami in terms of impact,” Mr Cordingley said.
While the World Health Organization (WHO) has yet to issue travel warnings, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has initially issued travel warnings to Vietnam. Deaths have been reported in Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
Previously believed to be transmittable only between chickens, scientists have said a woman who died of bird flu yesterday in Thailand probably contracted the disease from her daughter. Researchers from the Thai Ministry of Public Health warn it is likely there will be more cases where the virus is passed from human to human, reported the BBC.
Vietnam appealed on Wednesday to the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization, asking for help to fight the raging bird flu outbreak that has killed 12 people in the country over the past five weeks, reported the Associated Press.
Vietnam’s request for help came as Thailand reported that bird flu had been detected in two more provinces in the northern part of the country, bringing the total number of affected Thai provinces to eight.
Reported by Charles Kao
Charles Kao
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