Bird Flu: Could it be the largest epidemic ever?

Bird Flu: Could it be the largest epidemic ever?

The whole of Europe is a scared lot. The threat of bird flu looms large over the entire continent with Greece confirming that the deadly virus had reached the European Union for the first time.

This has caused widespread panic among the people in general. No doubt, emergency discussions are being held by the foreign ministers of the European Union. The deadly virus was first spotted around the Aegean Sea region of Chios.

Turkeys were the first to be infected and tests are being carried out on them to find out whether they are infected with the deadly H5N1 virus strain. H5N1 virus strain has already been confirmed in the poultry from countries like Turkey and Romania. The European Union has banned the poultry from countries bordering the EU block, like Turkey and Romania. Bulgaria and Croatia have also been brought under scanner.

The foreign ministers of the European Union are discussing the far reaching implications of this deadly virus. Last time when it occurred in Asia it resulted in the death of millions of birds.

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The main fear in Europe is that the virus could be easily transmitted to humans. This would put plenty of lives at risk. The migrating wild fowls are responsible for transmitting the disease to Europe. Although measures have been taken and systems put into place, still the uncertainty looms large. In the event of an outbreak of a major epidemic, the European nations fear that they do not have the requisite number of vaccines. The general feeling prevalent is that the demand would exceed the supply.

The European Union comprises of twenty five nations. Against a population of 500 million people, only 10 million vaccine doses are available. A lot is left to be desired.

The United Nations Co-ordinator for bird and human influenza, David Nabarro has presented a very grim picture. He feels that the Asian countries would be the worst hit due to lack of adequate financial resources. A good six months is required to counter the epidemic.

The magnitude of the damage which would be caused is mind blowing. The amount could run into billions and even trillions of dollars. The world at large is in danger. Plenty of research is being carried out to stop the epidemic which threatens to engulf the entire world. The need of the hour is to prepare in earnest.

David Nabarro feels that the International community should come to the help of poor nations. He is on a tour to major Asian countries assessing the situation as to what could be done to prevent the outbreak. He is also laying a lot of stress on the proper stocking and preservation of vaccines so that the vaccines reach those who need it the most.