Bird Flu Without The Symptoms

It is being reported that Indonesian officials have come across chickens with the H5N1 strain of bird flu that are showing no symptoms.

Usually, sick or dead chickens are used as a sign of H5N1 infection, but if chickens are not showing signs and symptoms of the virus, detecting it is virtually impossible.

Indonesia has the world's highest death toll from the virus, with more than 70 people dying from the virus since it was first identified in late 2003.

"The poultry death rate is not so high, but there is a trend that chicken or poultry are infected by the virus but they don't die. So, the H5N1 virus is not fatal to poultry," Musny Suatmodjo, director of animal health at the agriculture ministry, told a news conference.

Bird flu is currently indemic in many parts of Indonesia. Millions of birds have been culled in an attempt to stomp out the virus but to date this practice has proven to be ineffective.

The most common way that people contract the virus is through contact with infected poultry. Worldwide, 189 people have died from the disease.

http://www.dogflu.ca/06112007/09/bird_flu_without_the_symptoms