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Experts: Bird flu lifespan in animals may increase danger to humans

Infection Control Monitor, August 26, 2005

World health experts are worried that the spread of bird flu into Russia and Kazakhstan increases the risk that the virus will become more contagious for humans, reports the Associated Press.

The longer H5N1 circulates in an animal host, the greater the risk that it may acquire genes from other viruses, which would bolster its strength, experts say. Making matters worse, no human would have immunity from the strain because it would be new.

According to the World Health Organization, such a vicious, contagious pathogen could wipe out millions worldwide.

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