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May 16, 2003
INTERNATIONAL IMMUNIZATION NEWS
"Europe Struggles to Eradicate Avian Flu
Outbreak"
Wall Street Journal (www.wsj.com)
(05/16/03) P. A5; Furhmans, Vanessa
Europe is still working to halt an avian flu
outbreak that has traveled through Belgium and the Netherlands during the past
few months, but the virus has entered Germany and caused the European Union to
extend a ban on the export and transport of fowl and eggs in certain areas until
the end of the month. The Netherlands has culled some 28 million birds since March, while
Belgium has slaughtered 3 million and Germany 80,000, and the number of new
cases has dropped considerably. The virus is not generally serious for humans,
but it has infected over 80 people who came in contact with birds, and many were
already taking precautionary antiviral medicines. Some health experts fear that
the virus could recombine with a human influenza strain and produce a more
dangerous disease.
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-- Albert Einstein, letter to a friend, 1901
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