Bird Flu Cases in Egyptian Children May Be a Crucial Step in Pandemic Launch

Uh oh! The rapid expansion of the global poultry market is continuing to fuel the next pandemic, it appears.

clipped from www.cidrap.umn.edu John Jabbour, a World Health Organization (WHO) emerging diseases specialist based in Cairo, said the Egyptian government and the WHO are planning a study to find out if subclinical or asymptomatic cases have been occurring, according to the story. Jabbour said the occurrence of asymptomatic cases would be worrisome because it could give the undetected virus more time to mutate in human hosts, Reuters reported. "If there is any subclinical case in Egypt, the aim is to treat immediately to stop the reproduction of the virus," he told Reuters. "Because whether [through] mutation or reassortment, this will lead to the pandemic strain."