Rising numbers of cases of avian flu in Asia are fueling fears of a global outbreak. The disease appears to be resurfacing in the region, and health officials worry that they do not have the tools to fight it. A mutation that allows the disease to pass from person to person could be the spark that sets off a worldwide pandemic. Only a concerted and speedy international response can provide the protection needed.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there have been 58 human cases of avian flu since January 2004, with 44 fatalities. In Vietnam, 13 of 14 people infected in the last two months have died. In Thailand, 12 of 17 infected people died last winter, before warm weather stopped the spread of the disease. A Cambodian woman died of the disease in early February.
Although the number of human cases has been limited thus far, it is far more widespread in birds. Infected fowl have been found in nine Asian nations, including Japan, resulting in the slaughter of hundreds of millions of birds and ducks. About half of Vietnam's provinces have infected animals. Following the most recent cases, Vietnamese officials have ordered the culling of another 210,000 ducks and banned live ducks from the city. Recent studies have showed that ducks, both domestic and wild, are reservoirs, and the animals do not show signs of the disease. Thus, the Vietnamese government is reportedly considering halting all duck breeding -- a key poultry industry in southern Vietnam -- to stop the spread of the flu.