Bird flu update

Oh, great. WHO says SE Asia remains biggest bird flu danger, with the organisation concerned that the panic over bird flu in Europe possibly diverting funds away from the real cause for worry, Asia.

Remember,

Direct contact with infected poultry, or surfaces and objects contaminated by their droppings, is considered the main route of human infection. Exposure risk is considered highest during slaughter, defeathering, butchering, and preparation of poultry for cooking. There is no evidence that properly cooked poultry or poultry products can be a source of infection.

Countries located along migratory routes need to be vigilant for signs of disease in wild and domestic birds. Recent events make it likely that some migratory birds are now implicated in the direct spread of the H5N1 virus in its highly pathogenic form.

Better stop playing with chicken poop before I eat, then.

A Tamiflu-resistant strain of bird flu has been found in Vietnam.

• 18 Oct 2005