horrendous outcome predicted Sunday, February 06, 2005...

horrendous outcome predicted Sunday, February 06, 2005 Commentary The bird flu seems to be spreading, increasing the risk of a worldwide pandemic
With the bird flu taking the lives of 9 Vietnamese since Dec. 30, it looks like strain H5N1 is preparing to spread. Though there is no evidence yet that the bird flu can be easily transmitted between humans, there is some evidence that the virus is mutating in ways that will lead it to become a worldwide pandemic. 38 people have died from the bird flu . so far, and fears of this strain have led to the culling of 120 million birds throughout Asia.




A 35-year-old woman who tested positive for the bird flu virus died Friday in south Vietnam, medical officials reported Saturday.
A 17-year-old boy, who died on Jan. 15 in Bac Lieu province, also had the virus, said officials.
The virus has claimed nine lives in the country since Dec. 30.
The high number of victims may indicate the coming of a global pandemic that could cause more devastation than last month's tsunami, the World Health Organization says.
"If we continue to experience these frequent new outbreaks with the virus spread both in poultry and people, it finally might result in an awful virus strain that could become a pandemic with a horrendous outcome," said Hans Troedsson, WHO's representative in Vietnam.
Three new bird flu deaths were confirmed this week, prompting concerns from WHO about the high fatality rate.
WHO fears that the H5N1 bird flu virus could mutate into a deadly human form.
It is urging countries and drug companies to speed development and production of a vaccine.
So far there are no signs that the virus is being transmitted easily between people.
However, WHO says recent epidemiological and laboratory studies reveal unusual features suggesting that the virus may be evolving in ways that increasingly favour the start of a pandemic.
There are another nine suspected human cases of bird flu under investigation, including two in hospital in Ho Chi Minh City and four in Hanoi, two of which are in a critical condition.
Eighteen of Vietnam's 64 provinces and cities have been hit by the new outbreak of bird flu.
Since the end of 2003, outbreaks of bird flu have killed 38 people: 27 in Vietnam, and another 12 in Thailand.