H5N1:The Avian Flu Pandemic

Bird Flu Deaths Reported in Azerbaijan

At least three people were suspected of having died from the avian flu virus in Azerbaijan, the country’s health minister said.Blood from the victims was to be analyzed with the help of western laboratory techniques, after local tests failed to detect any sign of the strain, the minister said on Monday. Later, local officials said the tests had confirmed that three people were killed by bird flu.

In Azerbaijan, the H5N1 strain of the virus was first detected in February in migratory birds that turned up dead.

Azerbaijan lies to the east of Turkey, where four children died of the virus in January.

The H5N1 strain of bird flu has killed or forced the slaughter of tens of millions of chickens and ducks across Asia since 2003, and recently spread to Europe, Africa and the Middle East, The Associated Press reported.

It also has killed at least 98 people in Asia and Turkey since 2003, according to the World Health Organization’s latest tally posted on its Web site early Monday.

Health officials fear H5N1 could evolve into a virus that can be transmitted easily between people and become a global pandemic. So far, human cases generally have been traced to direct contact with sick birds.

MOSNEWS.com:Bird Flu Deaths Reported in Azerbaijan _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Two more cases of H5N1 bird flu confirmed in Switzerland

A British laboratory has confirmed that two more water birds have died of the H5N1 strain of bird flu in Switzerland, bring to three the total for the country, the Swiss Federal Veterinary Office said today.

The newer cases were in a coot and a scaup duck found earlier this month in northern Switzerland.

The first case to be confirmed was a merganser found along the lakefront in Geneva last month.

Swiss authorities assume that eight other birds that tested positively for H5 bird flu also have the deadly H5N1 strain, but results from the confirmation tests in England are still pending.

Swiss authorities have so far tested 468 dead birds for the virus.

Ireland On-Line:Two more cases of H5N1 bird flu confirmed in Switzerland ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

H5N1 bird flu detected in Myanmar

The resident office of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said on Monday it has received official report from the Myanmar authorities that H5N1 bird flu was detected among 400 dead chickens in Mandalay, northern Myanmar.

The Myanmar authorities said the chickens were found dead on March 8 in Mandalay and the H5N1 virus was detected among them when examination was made and the sample of the test has been sent to the international bird flu examination center for further confirmation.

This is the first time that Myanmar has detected the avian influenza virus.

People’s Daily Online:

H5N1 bird flu detected in Myanmar

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Cameroon Reports Deadly Strain of Bird Flu

Cameroon has become the fourth African country to report a case of the deadly bird flu virus.A government statement released Sunday said the H5N1 strain was detected at a duck farm in the northern town of Maroua.

Cameroon had already implemented a ban on importing birds after the H5N1 virus was reported in neighboring Nigeria.

Health officials are concerned that Africa is not prepared to combat