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The "danger zones" in Asia which are vulnerable to a deadly bird flu have been mapped by scientists, the BBC reported. 

The virus, called H7N9, has infected 433 people mostly in China and has killed 62.

The study, published in Nature Communications, showed parts of Bangladesh, India and Vietnam could easily sustain the virus.

The research group said those areas should monitor poultry to ensure any threat is detected.

The H7N9 virus spread from birds to people and was first detected in March 2013 in China.

New viruses are always a concern because of their unknown potential to spread round the world as a deadly pandemic.

Data from the H7N9 outbreak was used to build a computer model of other at-risk areas in Asia.

It involved mapping 8,000 live-poultry markets and assessing how close together they needed to be to spread the infection.

The map does not show where the virus will end up next, just those areas where conditions are suitable to sustain the virus if it managed to get there.

Bangladesh, northern India, the Mekong and Red River deltas in Vietnam and isolated parts of Indonesia and Philippines were identified as at-risk areas.

Thailand was not a risk zone due to cultural differences, which mean live-poultry markets are not common. It is also noticeable that the whole of China is not equally at risk.