AvianBirdsFlu.com: key facts about Avian Influenza commonly called Bird Flu that created world health crises rivaled only by Plague and HIV.
Home Page News Virus Pandemic Vaccine Sympotms Links H5N1 Strain Forum	From animals to human: Bird Flu is next? Some diseases spread to humans from animals. Will Bird Flu be next? Here is a summary of diseases spreading to humans. Many believed they would never spread, so its better to be ready. AIDS. Humans became infected with this virus by anthropoid apes, living in Central Africa, most likely from a chimpanzee. Almost 24 mln of people has died of AIDS. SARS. Humans supposedly caught this infection from a civet cat. The epidemic affected several thousands of people, several hundreds of whom died. Aden fever. Causative agent is transmitted by mosquitoes. First epidemics were registered in the 1950’s in Thailand and the Philippines. In the 1970’s, 9 countries faced the epidemic. Now the cases of Aden fever have registered in 100 countries. Ebola fever. Supposedly, humans caught this virus from anthropoid apes. The causative agent is transmitted through direct contact with blood and voiding of the sick. The Ebole fever epidemic, which killed 90% of the infected, was first registered in Sudan in the 1970’s. Yellow fever. Humans caught this virus from anthropoid apes living in Central Africa, most likely from a chimpanzee. The transmitting agents are mosquitoes. The first cases were reported about 400 years ago. The vaccine was developed 60 years ago. West Nile fever. Humans caught this virus from birds through mosquitoes. One of the most dangerous fevers, noted for its high lethal rate. Cases of infection are registered not only in Africa, but also in Europe, Asia, and North America. Malaria. The agent of malaria is transmitted to a man with the bite of an anopheles mosquito. About 300 million people catch malaria annually, 1 mln of whom die. Lyme Disease. Humans were infected with the disease agent, a bacterium, from dear and mice. Symptoms of the disease are similar to those of flu, but the disease takes a far more serious form and leads to arthritis. The disease got its name in the 1970’s from the American town of Lyme, where such cases were first registered.