THE BIRD FLU THREAT – WHY AREN’T WE WORRYING?

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) and influenza experts worldwide are concerned that the recent appearance and widespread distribution of an avian influenza virus, influenza A/H5N1, has the potential to ignite the next influenza pandemic. It is estimated that even in the best-case scenarios, the pandemic will cause 2 to 7 million human death and tens of millions would require medical attention. If the pandemic virus is a very virulent strain, deaths could be dramatically higher.