Bird Flu Is Spreading in Asia, Experts (Quietly) Warn

This year, H7N9, one of the deadliest strains of flu has had a fifth wave in China. To date, 1600 people have been infected with H7N9 in this wave in China, and almost 40% of them have died.

Research has indicated that H7N9 is also beginning to transmit from person-to-person. Research in ferrets which are similarly affected by the flu has shown that ferrets die of flu and are also able to transmit the virus via a respiratory route to other ferrets.

This brings up the possibility of a global pandemic. This is one of the most dangerous strains of flu because the mortality rate is so high, and research indicates that it is getting more virulent. In 2009, there was a false alarm with the H1N1 pandemic that killed relatively few people. The flu is notoriously difficult to predict, but this new H7N9 development is putting scientists and the global health community on edge.

Bird Flu Is Spreading in Asia, Experts (Quietly) Warn

~Scarlett