Bird Flu Human Death Toll Tops 100 Mark

After Azerbaijan reported 5 human deaths from H5N1 infection, the total number of human deaths worldwide has reached 103. Samples from 11 patients were sent to a laboratory in Kent, England, all tested positive for the virulent H5N1 bird flu virus strain.


Authorities in Azerbaijan are still unsure how the humans got infected. Dead swan feathers are suspected. Defeathering of birds is usually carried out by girls and young women in Azerbaijan - most of the human cases of bird flu infection in the country have been among adolescent girls and young women.


Scientists fear the H5N1 bird flu virus strain will mutate into a human transmissible virus. When it does this, we could be facing a serious, global flu pandemic. The more the virus spreads around the world, the higher the chances are that the virus will mutate, say experts.


For the virus to mutate quickly it needs to enter a person who is sick with the normal human flu virus. The H5N1 could then exchange genetic information with the human flu virus and pick up its ability to spread from human-to-human. How virulent this new, mutated virus would be is anybody's guess. It could pick up the ability to spread among humans and lose some of its virulence (power, potency, ability to kill). On the other hand, it could keep its virulence and also acquire the ability to spread among humans.


Humans Infected With Bird Flu


Azerbajan

Cases 7

Deaths 5


Cambodia

Cases 4

Deaths 4


China

Cases 15

Deaths 10


Indonesia

Cases 29

Deaths 22


Iraq

Cases 2

Deaths 2


Thailand

Cases 22

Deaths 14


Turkey

Cases 12

Deaths 4


Vietnam

Cases 93

Deaths 42


Total Cases 184

Total Deaths 103


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