Bird Flu Has Now Hit 35 Countries - See The List

In 2003 bird flu (H5N1) was found in Vietnam, South East Asia. It gradually moved its way further into Asia. Over the past few months the geographic spread has taken on a new speed, like a snowball going down a hill gaining momentum. Now (28 February, 2006) 35 countries have been hit by the bird flu virus.

Here is the list

-- Austria
-- Azerbaijan
-- Bulgaria
-- Cambodia
-- China (human cases confirmed)
-- Croatia
-- Cyprus
-- Egypt
-- France
-- Germany
-- Greece
-- Hungary
-- India
-- Indonesia (human cases confirmed)
-- Iran
-- Iraq (human cases confirmed)
-- Italy
-- Japan
-- Kazakhstan
-- Kuwait
-- Laos
-- Malaysia (human cases confirmed)
-- Mongolia
-- Niger
-- Nigeria
-- Romania
-- Russia
-- Slovakia
-- Slovenia
-- South Korea
-- Sweden
-- Thailand (human cases confirmed)
-- Turkey (human cases confirmed)
-- Ukraine
-- Vietnam (human cases confirmed)

Perhaps there are more, maybe there are some dead birds lying around in some other countries that we have not yet found, who knows? It is strange that North Korea, which borders countries that have reported bird flu in their territories (South Korea and China) does not appear on the list.

How many countries bordering Nigeria perhaps already have the virus? So far, only Niger has confirmed the presence of infected birds.

Is there anywhere that is safe from bird flu? According to ornithologists, only Australia and New Zealand stand a chance of staying out of this unpleasant league of bird flu infected countries. Australia and New Zealand do not lie in the paths of bird migration.

(The H5N1 virus itself was first detected in Hong Kong, in 1997)