Bird flu likely to spread to Europe, Middle East, Africa

The bird flu virus that has hit several Asian countries is likely to spread to Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, the U.N. food agency warned on Wednesday, urging nations at risk to step up surveillance and prepare national emergency plans. The most immediate threat is to poultry farms, but the virus' spread also increases fears that it could mutate into a form dangerous to humans....Eliminating the bird flu outbreak is important for human health because each time the virus passes from bird to bird, it has the opportunity to mutate into a form that is deadly to humans and easily spread between people. That could trigger a pandemic that could claim the lives of millions of people across the globe.Experts have warned the risk is high of a human flu pandemic, and control efforts are focused on ensuring the current bird flu strain does not trigger that.