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Bird flu, or avian influenza, is a Type A influenza virus that affects mostly birds and occasionally pigs. The virus can pass from bird to bird when it is inhaled and from contact with infected droppings. Contaminated equipment, infectious particles carried on the feet and bodies of animals, and migratory waterfowl can spread the disease. Since December 2003, a highly pathogenic strain has devastated dozens of Asian domestic poultry stocks, and several human infections have been reported. According to the CDC, which offers a basic fact sheet on the virus, bird flu is especially pernicious to humans because we lack
the necessary immune protections against the disease. All influenza viruses are dangerous because they are prone to change; the Hong Kong flu pandemic of 1968 killed 34,000 people in the United States. The World Health Organization's excellent Bird Flu FAQ notes that no human-to-human transmissions have been reported. There's much warranted concern about the latest outbreak -- it has spread rapidly and is highly pathogenic. For the latest headlines on the Bird Flu situation, check Yahoo! Full Coverage.
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