Reply #49: You're right, the world is watching [View All]

[420inTN]

"Not even close. Right now the H5N1 fatalities are in Vietnam and Thailand and the case fatality rate is around 70%"

sounds like it is currently limited to the third world/developing nations.

"This is not because of poor health care. It is because the birds in Vietnam and Thailand have a form of H5N1 that has picked up mammalian sequences and is particularly lethal to humans... "

and which nations will most likely be the ones to develop, manufacture, and distribute antiviral medicines to combat H5N1?

"H5N1 is very lethal, but so far reported human cases have been limited to Vietnam and Thailand. When the virus acquires efficient human to human transmission, it will distribute worldwide in days..."

if the whole world is watching, then any spike in H5N1 contraction will force a quarantine of that nation and its population to prevent the spread.

"but the real number of potential deaths is really closer to 1 Billion (with a B)."

as opposed to ßillion (with a ß}? ;-)