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Bird flu reaches Germany

Avian influenza updates

Toytown Germany > Discussion forum > Germany-wide > Life in Germany
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eurovol
Aug 30 2007, 6:36 pm
Study confirms 2006 human-human spread of bird flu

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A mathematical analysis has confirmed that H5N1 avian influenza spread from person to person in Indonesia in April, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday.
...
Health officials around the world agree that a pandemic of influenza is overdue, and they are most worried by the H5N1 strain of avian influenza that has been spreading through flocks from Asia to Africa.

So, in all likelihood it can and has picked up the ability to spread from human to human in at least one cluster.

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"It went two generations and then just stopped, but it could have gotten out of control," Longini said in a statement.
"The world really may have dodged a bullet with that one, and the next time, we might not be so lucky," he added.

Not a good sign.
Fribble
Sep 6 2007, 1:56 pm
About 2 months ago, I saw a small black bird (size of my hand) fly repeatedly into the walls of our building, full-speed, till it eventually hit the wall one too many times. It was healthy-seeming except apparently completely and unexpectedly blind, and panicked. Then a few weeks later I saw a similar looking bird dead on the middle of the sidewalk several streets away, just lying there as if it spontaneously up and fell from a tree. I wondered whether I should call the authorities, but I left for a trip later that day and it slipped my mind until I saw this thread. Whatever happened to those poor little black birds, whether or not it was bird flu, it was weird. I haven't seen any since then; hopefully it was just sad, but not bird flu-related.
eurovol
Oct 8 2007, 12:51 am
Bird flu virus mutating into human-unfriendly form

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"We have identified a specific change that could make bird flu grow in the upper respiratory tract of humans," said Kawaoka, who led the study.

"The viruses that are circulating in Africa and Europe are the ones closest to becoming a human virus," Kawaoka said.

Recent samples of virus taken from birds in Africa and Europe all carry the mutation, Kawaoka and colleagues report in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS Pathogens.
eurovol
Dec 16 2007, 2:07 pm
Its back.
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