Bird flu strikes

panic-birdflu

The deadly virus killed 32 people in Thailand and Vietnam. Millions of poultry were put to death. And people spend anxious moments lest the killer virus strikes them down. The Bird flu panic was most palpable as Asian countries geared up to meet the mammoth challenge. The nightmare that the deadly virus may spreads to newer areas gave South Asian nations many a sleepless nights.

The health community was further shell-shocked when WHO warned that the bird flu virus might combine with a human virus, triggering a worldwide pandemic. The report warned of an “ecocide” and estimated 7 million deaths in case the menace went unchecked.

The WHO's global influenza experts warned that the H5N1 bird flu virus, responsible for human deaths may cause the next global pandemic. Historically, influenza pandemics occur every 20 to 30 years when the genetic makeup of a flu strain changes so dramatically that people have little or no immunity built up from previous flu bouts.

- Vijay Soni