'Very low' risk of bird flu spreading between humans

[proud2BlibKansan]

LONDON (AFP) - The likelihood of the lethal H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus mutating into a form that can be transmitted between humans is "very low", the British government's chief scientific adviser said.
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David King was speaking after a dead swan discovered in eastern Scotland this week was found to have the H5N1 strain of the disease, prompting speculation that the virus could spread throughout Britain.

But although the scientist acknowledged that transmission of the disease from birds to humans could trigger a global pandemic, he said it was "totally misleading" to say it was inevitable.

"The pandemic flu that we are now talking about would be in the human population. It is not in the human population at the moment," he told ITV1 television.

more . . .
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060409/hl_afp/healthflubritain_060409203011

[Gatchaman]

1. Yes, and it's also unlikely to spread in western countries

where sanitary standards are high and people don't handle dead animals all the time. Just like the last black plague that was going to kill us all, SARS.

[Canuckistanian]

2. Sars was stopped because of an extraordinary effort

It most certainly did not "die out" on it's own.

Americans were relatively untouched by SARS, but we here in Canada saw the struggle every day.

They were literally tracking down individuals who spent any time with a SARS victim. Police, medical experts and government officials worked like hell to try and contain the spread.

And it worked.

[Mojorabbit]

3. you'll hear the same thing here

when they find the first bird. Can't panic the masses.