Why is there so much concern about the Asian bird flu?
The Asian bird flu virus causes severe disease in domestic chickens, ducks, and turkeys, which results in high levels of viral contamination of the birds and their environment. As the Asian bird flu virus persists and spreads geographically, more people are exposed to it. Each human infection poses a risk that the Asian bird flu virus will adapt into a new strain of flu virus that is highly infectious for humans, and such an event could lead to a severe, worldwide outbreak known as an influenza pandemic. People would not be immune to this new strain of the flu virus; so many exposed people would become ill. The Federal government is taking steps to protect the public health in the event of an influenza pandemic, including fostering the development of vaccines and treatments.
