A mixture of bird flu and human flu could have serious consequences for public health as flu viruses can evolve rapidly and can be transmitted across different species, he said. ADVERTISEMENTMore than 1,500 human cases of bird flu have been reported on the Chinese mainland since 2013, including 607 deaths, Zhong said. This winter, China was hit by one of the most serious flu outbreaks in recent years. “The chances of bird flu outbreaks will be greatly reduced if measures are taken such as the closure of live chicken markets and vaccinations for chickens,” he said. The peak season for flu infection is ending and the chances of simultaneous outbreaks of human flu and bird flu in the following months are low, he said.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer January 24, 2018 05:35 UTC