The H5N1 virus has reached France, with the first discovery made in the carcass of a wild duck found in a marshland in the east yesterday. At the same time, Egypt has also recently become a new “victim” in Africa.
“Test results indicate that one of the dead ducks found showed the presence of the H5 virus, and it is up to 90% likely to be H5N1 – the most virulent strain,” announced French Agriculture Minister Dominique Bussereau. Experts need an additional 30 hours to “be 100% sure that it is H5N1.”
Meanwhile, Egypt has detected avian influenza in poultry across three regions. In the Middle East, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that Iraq has reported its second death due to H5N1. Azerbaijan and Slovenia are scrambling to implement measures to prevent the spread of the outbreak. Romania has recorded up to 31 villages infected with avian influenza since the first detection last October.
As concerns about the avian flu grow worldwide, the WHO has stated that investments in vaccine development are still insufficient. Recently, some experimental vaccines have shown potential, but much work remains to be done. The WHO has allocated over $3 billion to stockpile antiviral medications.
My Linh (according to Reuters)
