Continuing human risk from bird flu

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), no human cases of avian flu have been found in India, Egypt or Nigeria, but transmission risks remain as long as the virus is present in birds. A number of people with flu-like symptoms have been tested for the H5N1 strain in the three countries, where outbreaks have been reported in birds. But no human cases have been diagnosed from the investigations done so far. Continued surveillance is needed because it is still possible that human infection can occur. There is no time frame for surveillance, since the virus could jump to humans as long as the virus is circulating it could jump into humans. Bird flu has been detected in more than 30 countries and territories since 2003 and 170 people are known to have been infected by the virus, of which 92 died.