UN warns about new mutant strain of bird flu
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Monday warned about a new mutant strain of the deadly bird flu H5N1 virus in China and Vietnam, saying there could be a "major resurgence" of the disease, “AFP” reported.
"Virus circulation in Vietnam poses a direct threat to Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia as well as endangering the Korean peninsula and Japan," it said, warning that the virus could be spread beyond Asia by wild bird migration.
It called for "heightened readiness and surveillance against a possible major resurgence" of the virus, which developed into a pandemic in 2009.
The UN's World Health Organization says 565 people have been infected since the deadly H5N1 strain first appeared and 331 of them have died as a result.