The number of countries reporting bird flu within their borders has increased to 45. In our last report, 6 March, there were 40 countries.
Three years ago Bird Flu (Avian Flu) started establishing itself in South East Asia, notably in Vietnam. It gradually spread to neighbouring countries. Since the beginning of this year the geographical spread of the H5N1 bird flu virus strain has been accelerating. H5N1 has now been reported in three continents, Asia, Africa and Europe. Experts say it is only a question of time before it is present throughout the globe.
Here is the list of countries that have reported cases of bird flu infection since 2003:
— Albania
— Austria
— Azerbaijan (human cases confirmed)
— Bosnia and Herzegovina
— Bulgaria
— Burma
— Cambodia (human cases confirmed)
— Cameroon
— China (human cases confirmed)
— Croatia
— Cyprus
— Denmark
— Egypt
— France
— Georgia
— Germany
— Greece
— Hungary
— India
— Indonesia (human cases confirmed)
— Iran
— Iraq (human cases confirmed)
— Italy
— Japan
— Kazakhstan
— Kuwait
— Laos
— Malaysia
— Mongolia
— Niger
— Nigeria
— Poland
— Pakistan
— Romania
— Russia
— Serbia and Montenegro
— Slovakia
— Slovenia
— South Korea
— Sweden
— Switzerland
— Thailand (human cases confirmed)
— Turkey (human cases confirmed)
— Ukraine
— Vietnam (human cases confirmed)
Humans Infected With Bird Flu
Azerbajan
Cases 7
Deaths 5
Cambodia
Cases 4
Deaths 4
China
Cases 15
Deaths 10
Indonesia
Cases 29
Deaths 22
Iraq
Cases 2
Deaths 2
Thailand
Cases 22
Deaths 14
Turkey
Cases 12
Deaths 4
Vietnam
Cases 93
Deaths 42
Total Cases 184
Total Deaths 103
(The H5N1 virus was first detected in Hong Kong, in 1997)
Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today