WHO Warns Bird Flu Pandemic More Likely Than Not

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that a bird flu pandemic is likely.

david%20heymann%20who.bmpHead of the communicable diseases department of WHO, Dr David Heymann, said in Canberra, Australia Wednesday that his organization had evidence that the H5N1 (bird flu) virus was now communicable between human and human.  (Bold mine).

Dr Heymann said because of international travel and the short time the infection will take to travel from person to person, it was not a question of if a pandemic would occur but when.

"Because of international travel and the speed with which people might be infected, [people] in one part of the world can come to another part of the world still in the incubation period of a disease and the develop signs and symptoms of that disease once they are home," he said.

He warned health workers in contact with those who had contracted the virus saying, "Fortunately [thus far] health workers have not been infected with H5N1 from their patients, it's been much closer contact than that, it's been home care where family members may not know the means of protecting themselves as they help those who are sick," he said.

Another version of the story can be found at: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/06/2025407.htm

The level of "chatter" coming from Australia and Indonesia is increasing, and the tone is becoming more and more severe.