Bird flu what are the real chances of a pandemic

Bird Flu: What are the Real Chances of a Pandemic

There are four reasons that scientists believe that bird flu could become a pandemic.

bird flu, avian flu, h5n1, health

Avian influenza, or bird flu as it is more commonly known, was discovered over a century ago in Italy and to date, there are several strains of the bird flu virus. Many of these strains have become deadly, particularly the H5 and H7 strains. The deadliest one to date, the H5N1 strain, has reportedly killed 70 people in Asia alone in the last two years. Many scientists believe that if proper action is not taken, bird flu has the potential to be the fourth major pandemic in the world.

Influenza has affected the lives of so many people, particularly in the 20th century. the spanish Flu of 1918, Asian Flu of 1957 and Hong Kong Flu of 1968 killed at least 20 million people worldwide.

Bird flu can spread quickly since the bird flu virus is typically found in the intestines of migrant birds that travel great distances. Bird flu spreads when other birds, chickens or geese come in contact with an infected birds saliva, nasal secretions or feces

 

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