WHO Warns Humans May be Increasingly at Risk for Bird Flu

[rodbarnett]

The World Health Organization warns that China may be the next nation to report human cases of the bird flu, as the disease has spread to poultry farms across the country. Human infections of the virus have so far been limited to Vietnam and Thailand.
The WHO said Tuesday that an increasing number of humans are at risk of catching the bird flu as the disease continues its rapid spread in poultry flocks across Asia.

A few dozen people in Thailand and Vietnam have contracted the disease - but many neighboring countries have reported outbreaks in chickens and are therefore at risk of human infections. About 20 people have died of the virus so far this year.

The United Nations health agency is particularly worried about China. Although no human cases have yet been found there, an increasing number of provinces have confirmed outbreaks among poultry.

"This infection is so widespread across great swaths of the country," said WHO Mainila spokesman Peter Cordingley, referring to China. "The Chinese authorities tell us they have no reported cases of infection in humans. We think it is quite conceivable that there are human cases that have not been detected."

http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=220659DF-FC29-4D07-948283F7D8C1C1BC