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In a little more than four years bird flu has affected poultry in Asian countries and spread to Europe and Africa, with growing human deaths among people who caught the illness, a strain of flu known as H5N1.

In 2007, bird flu reemerged in Asia, particulary in Indonesia. There, four human deaths occurred in just the second week of the year. Outbreaks continue there and elsewhere in 2008.

So far, humans appear to have caught this flu from chickens and other poultry, and the virus is not thought to have spread from person to person.

What health authorities most fear is that the virus will mutate into a form that can pass easily from one human to another. That's when a global threat would be most likely.

The deadly flu of 1918, which killed from 20 million to 50 million people worldwide, didn't appear suddenly but mutated gradually into the deadlier form.

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Italian Renaissance physicians first coined the term influenza for the terrible epidemics that appeared roughly every 30 years, explaining the illness's powerful ravages as being due to supernatural influences. Indeed, this is what influenza means in Italian -- influenza coeli [influence of the heavens or stars] or influenza del diavolo [influence of the devil].

Enhanced Electron Microscopy of the H5N1 virus |  Image Credit
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Hong Kong fears dangerous bird flu outbreak
...acts quickly to curb avian virus (Wash. Post 6/12/08)

First reported human case of H5N1 in Bangladesh
...infected child recovers, massive culling revealed (Reuters 5/22/08)

First pre-pandemic H5N1 vaccine approved in EU
...Prepandrix from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK 5/19/08)

WHO H5N1 vaccine stockpile still awaited
...despite launch a year ago (CIDRAP 5/16/08)

OSHA offers guide to stockpiling masks, respirators
...current thinking for Pandemic Influenza (CIDRAP 5/14/08)

H5N1 plagues Seoul
...outbreaks in other cities (CIDRAP 5/12/08)

India, Vietnam, confirm H5N1
...reports of sporadic outbreaks continue (CIDRAP 5/9/08)

WHO to Update Guidelines for Possible Flu Pandemic
...meeting to publish new guidelines by year end (CIDRAP 5/7/08)

South Korea, Japan find more H5N1 in birds
...Denmark also reporting (CIDRAP 5/5/08)

Indonesian boy dies of avian flu
... Indonesia's 108th human death (CIDRAP 4/29/08)

Japan finds H5 virus in swans
... India, Vietnam cite outbreaks (CIDRAP 4/28/08)

H5N1 strikes birds in Russia
...first recurrence in Russia since 12/07 (CIDRAP 4/14/08)

S. Korea confirms H5N1 outbreak
...4th outbreak in two years (eFluxMedia 4/13/08)

Egypt reports another H5N1 death
...30-year old woman dies (CIDRAP 4/11/08)

Father caught bird flu from son
...new human-to-human bird flu case confirmed (BBC 4/8/08)

19-year-old Egyptian dies of avian flu
...one of four cases in Egypt so far in 2008 (CIDRAP 4/7/08)

Swiss find H5N1 in wild duck;
...India has new outbreak (CIDRAP 3/27/08)

Ducks, rice, people add up to risk of H5N1 outbreaks
...rather than chickens (CIDRAP 3/26/08)

US officials launch stockpile to fight H5N1 in Asia
...first of 3 US-funded supplies (CIDRAP 3/25/08)

US has enough H5N1 vaccine for 13 million people
...double what was available last July (CIDRAP 3/20/08)

Turkey, Laos report more H5N1 in poultry
...backyard birds carried virus (CIDRAP 3/19/08)

Vietnamese boy dies of avian flu
...263rd global human death (CIDRAP 3/18/08)

China reports new bird flu outbreak
...China is considered crucial in the fight against the disease.(Reuters 3/16/08)

New case raises Egypt's H5N1 count to 45
...fourteen of the cases fatal (CIDRAP 3/3/08)

Woman dies of bird flu in Vietnam
...death brings the number of people in Vietnam killed by virus to 50, out of 105 total human infections (VOA 2/26/08)

China's fourth bird flu victim of '08
...woman had been in contact with dead poultry (Hon. Adv. 2/26/08)

Man's death raises Vietnam's H5N1 fatalities to 50
... second fatality in 2 days (CIDRAP 2/15/08)

Vietnam reports two new H5N1 cases
... one fatal (CIDRAP 2/14/08)

H5N1 strikes birds in Laos
... last outbreaks in Loas reported about a year ago (CIDRAP 2/12/08)

Indonesia reports its 102nd H5N1 death
... 29-year-old dies in Jakarta hospital (VOA 2/4/08)

Indonesian Chickens, and People, Hard Hit by Bird Flu
... investigative report with video and mapping (NYT 2/4/08)

Saudi Arabia, Tibet report H5N1 outbreaks
... also outbreak in Thailand (CIDRAP 1/28/08)

H5N1 spreads to more districts in India, Bangladesh
... also outbreak in Thailand (CIDRAP 1/28/08)

Indonesia logs 4 H5N1 cases
... death toll reaches 100 (CIDRAP 1/28/08)

H5N1 strikes poultry in India again
... 400,000 birds affected (CIDRAP 1/15/08)

Indonesia reports its first H5N1 death of 2008
... 32-year-old woman who near Jakarta (CIDRAP 1/14/08)

Third Egyptian Woman Dies of Bird Flu
... third in one week (VOA 12/31/07)

Pakistan reports first human bird flu death
... 8 others tested positive (Reuters 12/18/07)

Indonesia reports 92nd fatal H5N1 case
... 28-year-old woman (CIDRAP 12/11/07)

Father of Chinese Bird Flu Victim Also Infected
... concerns of human to human transmission (VOA news 12/08/07)

Father of Chinese Bird Flu Victim Also Infected
... concerns of human to human transmission (VOA news 12/08/07)

Chinese man dies from H5N1 infection
... Sixty-nine people had close contact (CIDRAP 12/3/07)

H5N1 strikes poultry in Romania, Saudi Arabia
... outbreak Romania's first since June 06 (Wash. Post 11/28/07)

Deadly Bird Flu Virus Found in UK Birds
... slaughtering thousands of turkeys (Wash. Post 11/13/07)

Indonesia reports 91st fatal H5N1 case
... 31-year-old man (CIDRAP 11/12/07)

Avian flu strikes ducks in Vietnam
... two more provinces (CIDRAP 11/9/07)

Indonesia reports 90th fatal H5N1 case
... 30-year-old woman (CIDRAP 11/5/07)

The Pandemic Vaccine Puzzle
... summary and links (Avian Flu Diary 11/2/07)

H5N1 hits poultry in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Vietnam
... new outbreaks of H5N1 avian influenza (CIDRAP 11/2/07)

Pandemic Influenza: warning, children at-risk
... an issue brief by Trust for America’s Health and the American Academy of Pediatrics (October 2007)

FAO warns H5N1 may be lurking in Europe
...geese, ducks in Europe may be harboring H5N1 (CIDRAP 10/26/07)

Indonesia 4-year old girl dies from avian flu
...country's 89th death (CIDRAP 10/24/07)

Indonesia boy dies from avian flu
...country's 88th death (CIDRAP 10/15/07)

Indonesia reports 108th H5N1 case
...87th death (CIDRAP 10/8/07)

Bird flu virus mutates into strain more infectious to humans
...increases the risk of a human pandemic (The Independent 10/6/07)

High-Pathogenic Bird Flu Found at Saskatchewan Farm
...imports of poultry products from Saskatchewan barred (Bloomberg 9/27/07)

China confirms bird flu outbreak
...9,830 dead ducks outside Guangzhou (AFP 9/17/07)

Germany finds H5N1 in frozen duck meat
...found in slaughterhouse batch sample (CIDRAP 9/10/07)

Indonesia reports 85th fatal H5N1 case
... 33-year-old Sumatran (CIDRAP 9/6/07)

Avian flu hits Russian farm
...hundreds of chickens die of H5N1 (CIDRAP 9/4/07)

Second Bird flu death in Bali
...CDC tests samples (CIDRAP 8/22/07)

First Bird flu death in Bali
...Australians on alert (News-Medical 8/13/07)

Vietnamese teenager dies of avian flu
...had contact with market ducklings (CIDRAP 8/8/07)

Something's killing off Kauai chickens in Hawai'i
... does not appear to be avian flu (Hon. Adv. 8/2/07)

WHO group grappling with virus-sharing issues
... 24 countries are meeting in Singapore (CIDRAP 8/1/07)

Woman is Vietnam's latest H5N1 victim
... seven months pregnant (CIDRAP 7/31/07)

Virginia turkeys test positive for antibodies of avian influenza during testing
... not a public health concern. No affected birds entered or will enter the food chain (VDAC 7/9/07)

Tenth African Nation has H5N1
... Togo confirms outbreak (CIDRAP 6/22/07)

Vietnam reports 43rd H5N1 death
... first fatality in 18 months (CIDRAP 6/18/07)

Public's readiness key in flu outbreak
... Despite preparations, govenment resources won't be enough in Hawai'i (Hon. Adv. 6/18/07)

Two new Egyption infections
... 10-year-old dies, youngster also infected (CIDRAP 6/12/07)

China confirms another H5N1 outbreak in birds
... More than 11,000 birds die (CIDRAP 5/21/07)

OSHA guidance for healthcare workers
... healthcare workers get advice (CIDRAP 5/21/07)

Indonesia reports 76th fatal H5N1 case
... second fatality in two weeks (CIDRAP 5/14/07)

Bird flu hits Ghana
...H5N1 discovered at a chicken farm east of the capital (News-Medical 5/3/07)

U.S. approves first bird flu vaccine for people
...an interim measure in case pandemic strikes before a better immunization comes along (Scientific American 4/17/07)

Bird flu toll mounts
...three more human bird flu deaths one day after Indonesia agrees to resume sending samples of the virus to WHO (news24 3/28/07)

Avian flu - be informed, but not fearful
...D. Chang DVM (Commentary Hon. Adv. 3/22/07)

Egypt reports seventh H5N1 case in '07
...25th overall (CIDRAP 3/15/07)

Laos reports first fatal human H5N1 case
...15-year-old girl dies (CIDRAP 3/8/07)

Kuwait reports H5N1 outbreaks in birds
...in birds at several locations (CIDRAP 2/26/07)

Afghanistan confirms new H5N1 outbreaks
...no human H5N1 cases have been reported (CIDRAP 2/23/07)

H5N1 outbreaks confirmed near Moscow
...no human H5N1 cases have been reported in Russia (CIDRAP 2/19/07)

Indonesia reports 2 H5N1 deaths
...avian flu also showing in poulty of South Korea and Pakistan (CIDRAP 2/12/07)

British Confronts Outbreak of Bird Flu
...Britain's largest poultry producer slaughters 159K turkeys, (AP 2/5/07)

Bird flu claims first human life in West Africa
...22 year-old woman dies (Reuters 1/31/07)

Mutations in bird-flu virus found in Egypt
...two patients who died not responsive to Tamiflu (Wash. Post 1/18/07)

University of Hawai'i seeks to import bird flu for research
...Island lab would benefit faster response (Hon. Adv. 1/19/07)

Japan and Thailand Confirm Outbreaks of H5N1
...lethal strain reappearing after 3 years (VOA 1/16/07)

Four Indonesians die of H5N1 in past week
...poultry farms banned in residential areas (Playfuls 1/15/07)

H5N1-infected bird found in Hong Kong
...poultry, migratory, imported? (ProMed 1/7/07)
 
FACT: The H5N1 virus was first identified in Hong Kong in 1997. The Bird Flu began ravaging poultry farms across Asia in December 2003.