Bird flu could reach North America this spring

March 14, 2006 | Source: San Jose Mercury News

One day in the next few weeks, flocks of wild birds from Asia will wing northeast across the Bering Strait to Alaska, where they’ll join other birds heading north from their winter homes in the United States and points south.

As they embark on their annual spring migration, Asian ducks and geese may be carrying some unwelcome baggage –the highly virulent H5N1 avian-flu virus — that they could pass on to their American neighbors.

The deadly bug has killed millions of birds and almost 100 humans since it appeared in China about 10 years ago. It’s been detected in 40 countries in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, as well as in its Asian homeland. A new outbreak is reported almost every week.