Bird flu outbreak spread to 35 countries since 2014

A new report from the World Organisation of Animal Health (OIE) has found that the contagious bird flu that has led to the culling of millions of birds across the US since last year has affected 35 countries around the world.

The bird flu originally emerged in 2004, following which several human cases were detected, most of which had proved to be fatal.

The US has been badly affected by the outbreak, which has resulted in the country having to kill more than 33 million birds since December last year.

The country is facing increasing prices of eggs and poultry, with suppliers hoarding products.

When the disease was detected initially in 2004, the virus had been widely publicised for the fear of mutating into a form that could be easily transmissible among humans. However, the strain has remained stable over the years.

After years of dormancy, the H7N9 strain emerged in China in early 2013, which was capable of infecting humans. It also led to more than one hundred cases in just a few months, reported OIE.

It is being speculated that the virus spread from there through migratory birds that flew to India, Europe, Canada and the US.

Suggesting ways of preventing the spread of the disease, OIE said: "To prevent the disease from spreading, it is vital to implement OIE-recommended biosecurity measures in farms, in commerce and in live bird markets, disease surveillance and early detection.

"While the role of wild birds as reservoirs and vectors of the virus has been highlighted in these various epidemics, other factors of transmission, especially among poultry farms, could rise to prominence unless appropriate precautions are taken."

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Image: The bird flu outbreak in the US has led to the killing of more than 33 million birds. Photo: courtesy of Salvatore Vuono/freedigitalphotos.net.