How deadly is the virus?
Currently in Asia, more than half of the people known to have been infected with the virus have died. Most laboratory-confirmed cases have occurred in previously healthy children and young adults. They appear to have been infected primarily by close contact with birds and poultry. Unlike seasonal influenza, in which infection usually causes only mild respiratory symptoms in most people, H5N1 infection may be very aggressive, with rapid deterioration and high fatality. Primary viral pneumonia and multiple organ failure have been common. It is possible, however, that the only cases currently being reported are those involving the most severely ill people. Perhaps the disease might not be as deadly as it appears because some infected people not included in the disease counts might not have been affected as severely. Q: What are the risks to humans from the current H5N1 outbreak in Asia and Europe? A: Because all influenza viruses have the ability to change, scientists are concerned that H
