There has been an outbreak of avian influenza, better known as bird flu in the
Asia recently. The first victims have died two weeks ago in Vietnam and
there have been the cases reported since in Thailand, and there are some suspected
cases in Cambodia as well as.
Wild birds are affected by a large number of flu viruses, just as the humans and
other animals are, but they are normally exclusive to birds. If the viruses manage
to mutate, they can to jump the species barrier and infect human beings. The first case in where someone died was in Hong Kong in 1997.
There are the several different forms of bird flu, ranging from mild to very serious
infections, which spreading rapidly and kill many of the birds they infect. It is
spread by wild birds – ducks, in particular – which carry the virus, but aren't
killed by it. They can spread the virus to farm birds through the direct contact or
by the contaminating water supplies.
World Health Organisation officials have attributed the spread of bird flu to humans
to contact with the droppings of infected birds and poor sanitation. There was no evidence at first that the virus spread from person to person, though there has been
a case of this happening, which being investigated by scientists.