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update:May 31, 2007
Four people infected with bird flu in the UK
Four people have tested positive for the low-pathogenic
avian influenza virus on a farm in the UK.
Samples from nine people associated with chickens infected with H7N2 on a
farm in north Wales were tested by the Health Protection Agency, of which four
tested positive. Three of the four infected people were initially hospitalised,
but later released.
However, a World Health Organization official says that there is not ebough
attention being given to low-pathogenic strains.
"There may be a bit of complacency when it comes to recognizing the
pandemic potential of H7 viruses," WHO expert Dr Michael Perdue. "Here, we're
talking about a small number of birds, and yet we still have four (human) cases.
Unless there's something unusual about the contact with birds, which suggests
the virus is finding new ways of getting into humans."
Related links:
For the latest
global news on avian influenza,
click here
Editor WorldPoultry
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