The Threat of Bird Flu

" Strain of Avian or bird who is reading the world then there are done. I geographically. This. Problem has remained a fairly. Focus in Asia the two countries most affected -- then. Vietnam and Indonesia. But we now have seen spread throughout Europe and into Africa."

" Strain of influenza called five and one. It is likely to spread further what especially worries experts is the possibility of an increased danger to humans."

" Most experts anticipate that. Bird flu. We'll come to North America. In the United States. At least infected birds will be singing and whether. This in fact youngest transmitted to humans. An open question. And even more open question. In general of human to human transmission which. Has been documented. But apparently occurs rarely and that is difficult to accomplish."

" Worldwide there have been less than 260 reported human and among those the death rate is around 60%. However there has been very you know this were person got the disease from another person as opposed to from close contact with pull. Now recently in Indonesia. There was a family of seven that died. Who it has been shown were able to carry it from one to another member of the family so we did go from human to human. But it stopped within that cluster."

" Here is that aren't in one will change -- to become much more contagious among people. That's what happened 1918. That represents the worst case here for Avian -- two day. -- the most."

" Destructive and fatal human. Pandemic. Of one in 1918. Laws an Avian influenza laws -- Arabia flew -- and that came from the -- population I think this is theater this and most expert. Fear. Of that. Whenever some critical mass. Of human infection has been reached. And it'll break out. That's contained code in Tuesday from or epidemic to pandemic and -- this is the and that's the doomsday scenario."

" There's I've rarely stronger urgent sub opinions about whether we actually will. Have a pandemic from age five and one on the one end of the spectrum are professionals to the World Health Organization. And elsewhere who believe dad with such an enormous. Virus slowed being carried by birds around the world and others -- With mutations occurring day in day out that only a matter of time before they hit on. That perfect mutation now will allow easy spread. From human to human therefore in their eyes. When it comes to a pandemic 35 and one it's not a question of if it's just a question away. Now on the other end of this spectrum are clinicians who were working in the field. Or Vietnam tour in Indonesia. -- huge numbers of birds died from a five and one -- very few humans become infected even though they're in close proximity to reach other. Those clinicians are saying look. If this going to read it would it probably happened in the last ten years in the fact it is not. Shows that it probably won't in the future."

" The World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention among other agencies are working hard to prevent a widespread outbreak of -- one among humans."

" There have been literally army's. Scientists and public health. Workers around the world. Who have taken measures. Two. To either of this doesn't happen. So I don't think it's just a matter of luck and and biology and Alton. Being entirely on her side I I think. It's because of certain interventions that have been undertaken."

" The interventions include providing protective equipment to poultry workers and educating them to better recognized that slot. There was also monitoring of -- from country to country on the scientific. -- research and to -- medical treatment and experimental vaccine. Whether that currently spreading Avian flu becomes a major health threat to human remains unknown. To advances in medicine a quick action may recruit protection."

" It's H five and one. -- an area. The best thing that we could do is to shut that area down to isolate that area a massively treat -- population within that area and then have very very careful surveillance of every one else. That's the way you protect yourself in a modern mobile world."