A virus naturally carried by wild birds causes avian flu, more popularly known as "bird flu," (Jan 2007). The Avian Flu virus is an influenza virus of type A. Influenza viruses of type A can be found in human beings, birds and other mammals. This is the only form of influenza virus in history that has caused pandemics (Beigel, 2008).
Governments should invest in vaccines for all strains of influenza virus that exist in the animal kingdom as an insurance policy in case of an outbreak in
humans, the incoming chief scientist at the World Health Organization said on Monday (Feb. 20).
Countries ranging from the United States and Britain to France and Japan have suffered record losses of poultry in outbreaks of avian flu in the past year.
The recent spread to mammals of H5N1 - commonly known as bird flu - needed to be monitored, but the risk to humans remained low, the WHO said earlier this month.
Incoming WHO chief scientist Jeremy Farrar said he would like to see the pharmaceutical industry at least conduct some clinical trials for all influenza strains such
that the world would not have to start from scratch to initiate global manufacturing should the need arise.
"My concern that we're in slow motion watching something which may never happen," he added in a media briefing. "But if it were to happen, would we look back on what
we're doing at the moment and say, why didn't we do more?"
Syndicate mail alert these days doctors in France for the presence of an alleged case of the deadly bird flu H7N9. According to the World Health Organization H7N9 is one of the most lethal influenza viruses can stand on the threshold of a new global pandemic. His victims are now 35!
Influenza, commonly shortened to "flu" is an extremely contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza A or B viruses. Flu appears most frequently in winter and early spring.