For Michael Osterholm, from the University of Minnesota (US), the tests are currently under way in Jakarta?s Persahabatan Hospital, might be the first sign of the dreaded bird flu pandemic.
If a pandemic the scale of the 1918 Spanish flu were to break out now, 45 million Americans would become sick enough that they would require some kind of serious medical attention, whether that was a clinic visit or a hospital stay.
Regrettably, roughly 2 million people would die." warned U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt to a forum at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
Among other issues, Leavitt specifically mentioned the need for ventilators if the bird flu breaks out. "Ventilators is something that one needs to worry about in a situation like this."
The wife and 18-year-old son of a man being studied died a few days ago -- they were infected with the virus.
Should it be proven that direct contagion is possible between relatives, this would confirm the theory that transmission is easier between genetically-related individuals.
For Michael Osterholm, this might be the first sign of the pandemic.
Bird flu has hit 55 countries, killed more than 1500 people and seems to be spreading quickly, the U.N. official in charge of tracking the virus said Wednesday.
Dr. David Nabarro said the virus has led to the deaths of some 200 million birds and has impoverished millions of small poultry farmers.
Between 2003 and 2006 the virus was reported in 55 countries. But in the first four months of 2006 it moved rapidly to 30 new countries, with major outbreaks in Turkey, Iraq, Israel, Gaza, Egypt, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Myanmar, India, Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Bukina Faso.
"I suspect we're going to see further spread of H5N1 into other countries," he said, referring to the deadly and virulent strain of the virus.
"This is very similar to the virus that caused the influenza pandemic of 1918," Nabarro said. It's not identical but it's similar. ... So therefore, the 1918 virus, which caused this huge pandemic associated with 40 million deaths, seems to have a successor waiting in the wings."
If a pandemic the scale of the 1918 Spanish flu were to break out now, 45 million Americans would become sick enough that they would require some kind of serious medical attention, whether that was a clinic visit or a hospital stay.
Regrettably, roughly 2 million people would die." warned U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt to a forum at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
Among other issues, Leavitt specifically mentioned the need for ventilators if the bird flu breaks out. "Ventilators is something that one needs to worry about in a situation like this."
The wife and 18-year-old son of a man being studied died a few days ago -- they were infected with the virus.
Should it be proven that direct contagion is possible between relatives, this would confirm the theory that transmission is easier between genetically-related individuals.
For Michael Osterholm, this might be the first sign of the pandemic.
Bird flu has hit 55 countries, killed more than 1500 people and seems to be spreading quickly, the U.N. official in charge of tracking the virus said Wednesday.
Dr. David Nabarro said the virus has led to the deaths of some 200 million birds and has impoverished millions of small poultry farmers.
Between 2003 and 2006 the virus was reported in 55 countries. But in the first four months of 2006 it moved rapidly to 30 new countries, with major outbreaks in Turkey, Iraq, Israel, Gaza, Egypt, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Myanmar, India, Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Bukina Faso.
"I suspect we're going to see further spread of H5N1 into other countries," he said, referring to the deadly and virulent strain of the virus.
"This is very similar to the virus that caused the influenza pandemic of 1918," Nabarro said. It's not identical but it's similar. ... So therefore, the 1918 virus, which caused this huge pandemic associated with 40 million deaths, seems to have a successor waiting in the wings."
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