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Bird flu marches on.


More and more animal diseases are "jumping" the species barrier to infect human beings, and the avian influenza avian influenza: see influenza.  strain H5N1 is no exception (see "Connecting the Dots," cover story, November/December 2004). According to according to
prep.
1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians.

2. In keeping with: according to instructions.

3.
 the World Health Organization (WHO), since 2003, 170 people have contracted avian influenza H5N1, 90 of whom have died. Most of the human cases have occurred in Asia, and in places where people have direct contact with diseased dis·eased
adj.
1. Affected with disease.

2. Unsound or disordered.
 poultry--either on farms or during preparation of the meat.

The WHO has documented that the H5N1 virus spread to 13 new countries last February. Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Slovenia, Austria, Iran, Germany, France and Hungary have all found the virus in wild birds. Egypt, India and Nigeria have discovered infected domestic poultry.

The virus does not currently have the ability to spread between humans, but according to the WHO, "The risk of pandemic pandemic /pan·dem·ic/ (pan-dem´ik)
1. a widespread epidemic of a disease.

2. widely epidemic.


pan·dem·ic
adj.
Epidemic over a wide geographic area.

n.
 influenza influenza or flu, acute, highly contagious disease caused by a virus; formerly known as the grippe. There are three types of the virus, designated A, B, and C, but only types A and B cause more serious contagious infections.  is serious ... The number of deaths caused by a pandemic virus vary greatly, and cannot be known prior to the emergence of the virus. During past pandemics, attack rates reached 25 to 35 percent of the total population." The more the virus spreads across the world, the greater the chances a pandemic can occur. CONTACT: World Health Organization, www.who.int/en.
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Article Details
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Title Annotation:updates
Author:Coughlin, Erin
Publication:E
Article Type:Brief article
Geographic Code:90ASI
Date:May 1, 2006
Words:208
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