WHO Raises Alarm on Avian Flu

WHO
Monday, January 23, 2017

The World Health Organization (WHO) has requested that countries across the globe increase their vigilance in monitoring avian flu in birds and the spread of the disease to humans. Almost 40 new outbreaks in wild birds have been reported since November with at least one case of human infection in China. According to NBC News, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan reports that "the rapidly expanding geographical distribution of these outbreaks and the number of virus strains currently co-circulating have put WHO on high alert." Tomorrow, the Consortium will be kicking off our lecture series on Emerging Diseases with a talk by evolutionary biologist Andrew Dobson of Princeton, who will discuss the emergence of pathogens like avian flu in the context of climate change. The event is free and open to the public; learn more and register here