# 1219
Thus far, a slow Saturday morning for bird flu news, hopefully a harbinger of a peaceful weekend.
In the meantime we have this statement by Margaret Chan, Director-General of the WHO (World Health Organization), warning us not to become complacent over the threat of a pandemic.
WHO Chief Warns Threat Of Bird Flu Pandemic Still Real
November 2, 2007
"The risk of an avian influenza pandemic is still with us," World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Margaret Chan warned Friday, saying a pandemic is still possible.
"Don't let your guards off," Chan told reporters after discussing with Chinese officials plans for next year's Olympic Games in the capital.
From 2003 when the disease surfaced in humans to Oct. 31 this year, WHO has recorded 303 human bird flu infections and 204 deaths in 12 nations.
WHO warned in September that deadly H5N1 strain of the virus had become "deeply rooted in domestic birds" in Asia despite efforts to control outbreaks.
The Hong Kong-born Chan praised China's surveillance capability, laboratory capacity and shortened time for reporting bird flu outbreaks. She also cited Southeast Asian nations such as Vietnam and Thailand for their success in controlling an outbreak.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has warned that a bird flu virus may mutate to a human form that becomes as deadly as the ones that killed millions during three influenza pandemics of the 20th century.
In Asia, there have already been a number of deaths among people who caught the flu from chickens or ducks. The mortality rate is very high - about seven out of 10 patients.
