China Reports Fifth Bird Flu This Year

 Title: China reports fifth bird flu this year  URL: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE50P4P020090126

 Since the beginning of the year there have been five deaths because of bird flu. On January 21^st the fifth person this year was taken to a clinic in the town of Beliui after falling ill. Three days later he was taken to the hospital reporting with bird flu. The Ministry of Agriculture says he became sick after he had contact with dead meat although mysteriously his friend say he had not shown any symptoms of illness. Other victims include a man in Guizhou providence and a two-year old girl in the Shanxi hospital.

In December of 2008 the Ministry of Agriculture reported that in the Jianhsu providence poultry tests for bird flu were positive. However, they have not reported an outbreak within poultry for months. The bird flu is mainly a virus in birds. But experts predict that it will evolve into a disease easily passed on by humans and lead to an epidemic that could kill millions of people. The bird flu first appeared in Asia in 2003. Since then 399 people have been infected and its killed 253 people.

Even though scientists assumed that being around dead poultry causes the bird flu. Bird flu deaths have been scattered across china in areas where there has been no poultry deaths from bird flu. Scientists are now concerned that the virus could be carried by other things.

This is important because the risk of bird flu and other diseases is high. We need to be aware of the viruses and diseases that we would be infected with. Along with that everyone needs to know how to stay away from catching bird flu. It is also important because people should know about things that happen in other countries. 

--Ana Rae

Partner: Jessica

Area of concern: East Asia