(Reuters) Chinese girl is latest human bird flu victim

Tue Dec 6, 2005 1:05 PM ET14
By Emma Graham-Harrison

BEIJING (Reuters) - A 10-year-old Chinese girl is the latest person to be infected with bird flu, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday, as fears grow about the spread of the deadly disease around the globe.

The World Health Organization's (WHO) top bird flu expert in Asia said a lack of equipment and expertise in the continent's rural areas was limiting efforts to contain the virus.

Ukraine, which detected a virulent strain of avian flu in birds at the weekend, warned the disease could spread from the Crimean peninsula to other parts of the east European country.

The H5N1 strain of bird flu is endemic in poultry in parts of Asia where it has infected more than 130 people, killing 69.

more, full story here

...it still (*thankfully*) hasn't made the leap to Human-to-Human transmission...yet.

::keeping fingers crossed::

I accept that an H5N1 could cause a pandemic. But I also know it's not the only one that is going to jump up and kill 30-40 thousand Americans next year.

The mundane might be boring, but is sure as hell isn't harmless.