The Rise of Bird Flu
Dr Anjani Ganase warns that we should pay attention to the most recent rise of the Avian Influenza (H5N1) which is wreaking havoc among domestic and wild populations of birds. Here is what you need to know. A brief history of Avian Influenza (H5N1) Avian Influenza first arose in the nineties in farmed geese in Southern China, resulting in the die off of 40 % of the farmed population in the area before spreading across Asia, Africa and Europe. The avian influenza has resulted in deaths of millions of farmed birds with some transmission to wild bird populations, as well as some cross over infections to humans as a zoonotic disease. In Southern China, Guangzhou province is sub-tropical with a long humid summer season supporting a wetlands and river systems used for farming and agriculture. It is also a major wintering ground for migratory birds. Around the time of the first major avian outbreak in 1996, China had ramped up its poultry farming by 3...