WHO warns bird flu still presents a threat

With the prevalence of swine flu increasing it would be easy to forget about bird flu. This strain of influenza which dominated headlines not so long ago, is otherwise known as Avian Flu or H5N1. This strain had caused a major scare during the peak of the virus’ spread in 2006, but seems to have faded from public consciousness lately.

Last Wednesday however, the World Health Organisation sent out a reminder that people should still be vigilant about the disease. Speaking at a press conference, a member of the organisation reported that there have been 21 cases of bird flu including 7 deaths, so far this year.

In addition, outbreaks of the virus have been recorded among wild birds and poultry in a number of Asian and Middle Eastern countries. People are at risk of contracting bird flu when they handle, transport or slaughter infected birds. They also face a risk when they come into contact with faeces from these given species. There is evidence that bird migration is strongly linked with the spread of bird flu.

One concern among experts is that the avian flu virus could mix with other strains of influenza, to form a new illness that is even more difficult to contain. It has been suggested that swine flu and bird flu could mix, to create a new treatment-resistant form of the virus. However there is no evidence so far that this is actually occurring.

If you live outside of hotspots for avian flu, primarily Asia and the Middle East, there is little chance that you will become infected with bird flu. The UK has now been officially declared ‘bird flu free’ by authorities. With swine flu, too, there is a relatively low risk of infection. Despite large numbers of cases last year, the government has now begun to wind down its swine flu responses. The unpredictability of influenza, though, means that it’s best to be alert to the latest official updates.