Bird flu brings heavy losses, pandemic threat

A bird flu outbreak affecting countries worldwide is causing heavy economic losses for governments, farmers and the food industry, while consumers are being hit by a rise in prices for poultry meat and eggs.

The H5N1 avian influenza has killed millions of poultry birds and wild birds and has already been fatally transmitted to mammals. Scientists now warn the virus could evolve into a form that spreads among humans, potentially triggering another pandemic.

According to the World Organization for Animal Health, at least 60 countries have recently experienced outbreaks of H5N1, killing more than 200 million birds due to disease or mass culling.

In the United States, bird flu has been detected in wild birds in every state, and more than 58 million poultry birds have been slaughtered in 47 states on more than 300 farms due to infection, resulting in rising prices for the eggs and meat of chickens and turkeys.

The outbreak has cost the US government about $661 million. In addition, the mass culling of infected poultry and resulting rising prices for consumers could easily add another $1 billion to the losses.

The outbreak has shown no signs of relenting. Last week, Argentina and Uruguay declared national health emergencies after H5N1 outbreaks, making it 10 countries in South America that have now encountered the virus.

In Peru, government data show that 63,000 birds, mostly pelicans, and more than 700 sea lions have died of the virus.

"We have recorded since mid-January the unusual death of many sea lions. We've seen about 716 dead sea lions in seven protected natural areas of the coast," said Roberto Gutierrez, head of surveillance for the National Service of Natural Protected Areas.

In Europe, a bird flu outbreak was reported on a mink farm in Spain in October. The minks were fed poultry, and bird flu was found among wild birds in the region. It is believed the flu was transmitted from mink to mink.

Scientists have been monitoring the H5N1 virus since the 1950s. In recent years the spread of this bird flu has slowed, with 170 infections and 50 deaths recorded in the past seven years.

Agencies contributed to this story.