Replies

Parrot fever (psittacosis) is nn infectious disease of parrots and related birds caused by the bacterium Chlamydia psittaci.

It is communicable to humans

H5N1 - is a virus that is spread in fowl, and in rare cases to humans.

Human infection is from contact with the birds or their droppings.

Our concern with H5N1 is that it might infect a person with a human flu virus allowing the two strains to mix.

Ministers and officials "pledged to do more" to combat the spread of the disease which has erupted in 10 Asian nations and triggered a mass cull of some 20 million chickens and other poultry.

The deepening crisis sent shockwaves around the region's stock markets, with losses on bourses in Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok and Mumbai blamed on fears the outbreak could spin out of control and harm Asian economies.

China said today it was battling three separate outbreaks of bird flu hundreds of kilometres apart, sparking fears the virus has already spread across the country.