health

The first cases of bird flu in humans were reported in Hong Kong in
1997. Of the eighteen people taken ill, six died from the infection. The
disease has spread westward among the bird populations of Asia, Europe,
and northern Africa, with cases of human illness following. In Europe,
however, there have been instances of infected birds discovered without
any cases of human disease. As of September 10, 2008, the World Health
Organization (WHO) reported that 387 confirmed cases of avian influenza
in humans have occurred since 2003; more than half of the patients died.
There have been no confirmed cases of avian influenza caused by the
H5N1 subtype in the United States in either birds or humans as of September
2008. There were, however, outbreaks of a different flu virus among
American poultry in 2003 and 2004. Given the fact that the broadened
spread of any subtype of flu virus increases the danger to public health in
all countries around the world, many researchers think that it is only a
matter of time until the H5N1 type of avian flu reaches the United States.
The risk factors for getting bird flu are not completely understood,
although contact with infected birds or their droppings appears to be the
single most important factor.

• People of all races and both genders appear to be equally likely to
  be infected.
• According to WHO, people between the ages of ten and thirtynine
  are most likely to die from avian flu if they become infected.
• As of 2008, 50 percent of reported cases have been in people
  twenty years of age or younger; 40 percent of cases have been
  reported in people between twenty and forty years of age.