The latest in a slow trickle of information from Saudi Arabia brings the mortality rate to 16 deaths among 24 known infections — and not unlike China with its bird flu outbreak, the Saudi government isn't exactly being straightforward about how many people are sick with SARS cousin NCoV. If humans are dying, why don't we know more about how and why?
The horror of the H7N9 strain of bird flu isn't just that it's deadly — it's killed at least 23 people, it's definitely chicken-to-human, it has a chance of "going human-to-human," and it might be on the move. Another grim reality is that China might not be telling everyone just how bad the disease has become, even as it becomes clear we don't know how to stop it.
The first reported case of a human infection outside mainland China arrived Wednesday, and that's got the world's top scientists pretty worried about this H7N9 strain — even if it's not being transmitted from person to person.
Since the first cases of the deadly H7N9 bird flu strain appeared in Shanghai earlier this month, Chinese health officials told the world not to panic because they couldn't find solid evidence of human-to-human transmission in any of what have grown into 82 reported infections. They maintained that until, well, guess what China's health experts are saying for the first time today?
The total reported impact of this still very mysterious strain has grown to eight deaths and 24 infected people, but the bird flu might just be a lot worse than China is letting on — and it wouldn't be the first time the country's health officials have "covered up" a major disease threat.
Six people are dead from the H7N9 strain. The number of infected has grown to to 14. A new scare just hit Hong Kong. The U.S. has begun early research for a vaccine. And now China has slaughtered 20,000 chickens, ducks, geese, and pigeons to try and cut off the health risk at the source. So: Is it time to panic yet?
Two men from Shanghai have died from a new strain of bird flu in the last month, sparking rumors that it might be related to the "pig soup" that has taken over local rivers.
Mexico now has eight million fewer chickens clucking around and 66 million more vaccinated birds, and though that major cull and vaccination initiative, prompted by fears of bird flu, might seem really terribly scary, it isn't time to stock up on Tamiflu... yet.
Discovered: A human bird flu pandemic is a real possibility, these flowers could cure depression, alcohol improves your quality of life, and the Arctic climate is in trouble.
Scientists have successfully mutated the H5N1 bird flu virus into one that could kill hundreds of millions. The World Health Organization would like them to keep quiet.
Two research groups have "reluctantly" agreed to censor their research papers about avian flu over concerns that the information they reveal could be used by terrorists to create a deadly plague.
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