Chinese bus driver with bird flu dies

(AP) 

BEIJING — A Chinese bus driver who tested positive for the H5N1 bird flu virus died Saturday in a city bordering Hong Kong, health officials said, in the country's first reported case of the disease in humans in 18 months.

The man surnamed Chen died in the wealthy southern city of Shenzhen, provincial health officials said. Shenzhen is separated by a small river from Hong Kong, where thousands of birds have been slaughtered after two were confirmed to have the virus last week.

During the month prior to his fever, Chen, 39, apparently had no direct contact with poultry and did not travel out of Shenzhen, a metropolis of 10 million people.

H5N1 rarely infects humans and usually only those who come into close contact with diseased poultry. But among those infected, nearly 60 percent die, and scientists are closely watching the virus for any signs it is becoming more easily transmissible from human to human.

Chen developed a fever on Dec. 21 and was hospitalized on Dec. 25, city and provincial authorities said in a statement. Health Ministry experts confirmed on Saturday that he was infected with H5N1, the provincial health department said.

The Guangdong health department also said 120 people who had close contact with Chen have not developed any abnormal symptoms.

The Ministry of Health has informed the World Health Organization about the case, local authorities said.

WHO says globally there have been 336 human deaths from 573 confirmed bird flu cases since 2003. Of these, 40 cases were in China, 26 of which were fatal.

Chen's death comes a week after two dead birds tested positive for the virus in Hong Kong.

More than 19,000 birds at a Hong Kong market were slaughtered and imports and sales of live poultry were banned for three weeks after a chicken carcass tested positive for H5N1. Lab tests later confirmed that an Oriental magpie robin found dead on Dec. 17 was also infected.

China's last reported human case of H5N1 was in June 2010. A pregnant 22-year-old woman from central Hubei province died after being exposed to sick and dead poultry.

[JVThomasFL]

And that after this: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57346068-10391704/govt-wants-bird-flu-research-kept-under-wraps-away-from-terrorists/ Dr. Fouchier from Netherlands created a bird flu super virus that is airborne between humans (can be caught just like regular flu, not like the original bird flu where contagious happens only through handling contaminated poultry...)
So, I guess it started, worldwide pandemic. If the virus mutated in a lab, and became airborne after just five mutations, why wouldn't it do the same in nature?
Well, pack your canned food, your surgical masks and your ammo... we are in for a terrific 2012 start... 60% of humankind all around the world won't make it to next December...

[violist47]

Possibly this is nature's way of decreasing the surplus population...fine with everyone since no one considers himself to be surplus ;)

[johnsmith9875]

Not good, a bus driver is exposed to thousands of people every day. Looks like we have our patient zero.

[prs5]

This sounds more deadly than any other contagion that has ever surfaced in human history.A 60% death rate for bird flu as compared to the 0.01 % death rate for swine flu.If it ever becomes a worldwide problem it might mean that all the other species on the planet might have a chance at survival.That's OK with me as I don't think we have a right to annihilate those species due to our own unconscionable selfishness and irresponsibility.

[Happy_Holidays1]

How Christian of you, Dan!

[hypnotoad72]

I know!!

The best solution to a strange illness is to let everybody roam around freely.

As a bonus, hop on a plane and travel to lots of different countries!!

In seriousness, this news is not good.

And our interconnected society only increases the potential for severe havoc.

Still, we've - as a species - endured other maladies...