Avian Influenza

Avian influenza, also known as the bird flu, is a viral infection that spreads through birds. There is currently a certain strain of the bird flu called H5N1 that is spreading in poultry in Egypt and Asia. The virus is deadly to birds, as well as any mammal or human who come in contact with the birds. The first case of H5N1 in humans was reported to be in Hong Kong in 1997, and the virus has reemerged in 2003/2004 in Asia, Europe and Africa. Nearly 60 percent of the people with the virus has died since. Compared to other types of influenza, the bird flu does not spread as easily from human to human. The virus spreads between humans if an infected person is in very close proximity to a healthy person (Web MD). The article written by the New