Why is there so much concern about the current outbreaks in SE Asia and Europe?
At present, the H5N1 strain is a disease of birds and poultry. If humans become infected from handling infected birds, they don’t pass the disease on to other humans. But, there is a concern that the H5N1 virus may change to a virus that is easily transmissible between people and capable of causing disease in humans, birds and other animals. While this is a possibility, it has been circulating in some of the most densely poultry and human populated areas of the world for up to nine years and up until now it has only affected a few individuals. Those affected have had a close association with infected poultry. There is no evidence of the virus being able to spread easily between humans. In its present form H5N1 is not capable of massive spread to humans and infection in humans occurs rarely and primarily as a result of close contact with infected poultry.
