... farmer suspected of having bird flu died of pneumonia-like symptoms. Millions of chickens have been slaughtered across east Asia after the disease was found in Japan, South Korea, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, where five people have died and at least 17 others are infected. Experts say transmission is chiefly caused by direct contact with the birds, which Thailand does not export alive to Europe. The commission said the risk of contagion from eating poultry was "very low" but gave a warning that meat could be unsafe without prolonged heat-treatment at over 70C. There is no evidence so far that the virus can be transmitted between humans, but health experts are constantly on alert for mutations that could ultimately trigger a deadly pandemic. The World Health Organisation, calling the near simultaneous bird flu outbreaks across much of Asia "unprecedented", said it was concerned that a new, virulent strain of influenza could sweep around the ...

See this essay or coursework document in full right now