Why are scientists concerned about bird flu?
The bird flu virus could evolve into a form that is easily spread between people, resulting in a highly contagious and lethal disease. Q: How could this happen? A: Someone already infected with the human flu virus might catch the bird flu. The two viruses could recombine inside the victim’s body, producing a hybrid that could readily spread from person to person. Q: Why would that be so bad? A: The resulting virus would likely be something humans have never been exposed to before. With no immune defenses, the infection could cause devastating illness, such as occurred in the 1918-19 Spanish flu pandemic, which killed an estimated 40 million to 50 million worldwide. Q: How do people catch bird flu? A: So far in this outbreak, human cases have been blamed on direct contact with infected chickens and their droppings. Q: How is this outbreak of bird flu different from earlier ones? A: This outbreak has spread more rapidly into more countries, increasing its exposure to more people in many
