Calcutta under bird flu threat as virus flares in Asia

CALCUTTA, India (AP): Authorities went stall to stall in Indian poultry markets, trying to stop the country's worst outbreak of bird flu from spreading to crowded Calcutta, while Indonesia and Vietnam reported new human deaths -- prompting a United Stations warningof the global threat posed by the virus.
The danger of the virulent H5N1 strain of the disease was illustrated in Indonesia, where a man from the outskirts of Jakarta died of bird flu Thursday, bringing the country's death toll to 98. On Wednesday, Vietnam announced its first death thisyear, taking its toll to 48 since the virus began devastating Asian poultry stocks in late 2003.
Also Thursday, Thailand reported its first outbreak in 10 months.
Bird flu has killed at least 221 people worldwide, according to the World Health Organzation.
Although it remains hard for humans to catch, experts fear it will mutate into a new form that spreads easily among people, potentially sparking a pandemic.
Fears of the virus spreading in the chaotic crowded streets of Calcutta prompted city health officials to send teams to inspect city markets for signs of the disease after it was discovered just 30 kilometers from the city of 14 million people.
Health authorities -- hampered by crippling bureaucracy, a shortage of qualified personnel, ignorance among villagers and even bad weather -- have struggled to contain the outbreak, a stark reminder that much of the country has been left behind as India emerges as a global economic power.
(www.thejakartapost.com)