Influenza Epidemic »
Bird Flu Epidemic
Epidemic refers to an occurrence of a disease which tends to affect
a disproportionately large number of individuals or species within a
population, community, or region. Outbreaks of highly
pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) associated with illness and
death in humans occurred in Asia in late 2003 and 2004.
Outbreaks of influenza H5N1 occurred among poultry in eight countries
in Asia (Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, South Korea, Thailand,
and Vietnam) during late 2003 and early 2004. At that time, more than
100 million birds in the affected countries either died from the disease
or were killed in order to try to control the outbreak. By March 2004,
the outbreak was reported to be under control. Beginning in late June
2004, however, new outbreaks of influenza H5N1 among poultry were reported
by several countries in Asia ( Cambodia , China [ Tibet ], Indonesia,
Kazakhstan, Malaysia , Mongolia , Russia [ Siberia ], Thailand , and
Vietnam ).
It is believed that these outbreaks are ongoing. Most recently, bird
flu epidemic due to influenza H5N1 has been reported among poultry in
Turkey and Romania. Mongolia and Croatia have reported outbreaks of
H5N1 in wild, migratory birds. Human infections of influenza A (H5N1)
have been reported in Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Indonesia has become the latest country to admit that a massive outbreak
of bird flu has been ravaging its chicken farms for months. The disease
has now led to the death of many millions of birds across south-east
Asia, and at least seven people.
The scale of the bird flu epidemic is unprecedented. This is for the
first time that history has witnessed such outbreaks of highly pathogenic
avian influenza over such a wide area, simultaneously. If a person becomes
infected simultaneously with both bird and ordinary human flu, the viruses
could hybridize to cause a deadly global pandemic.
