- The world is on the brink of a major flu epidemic - one
that could claim more than a billion lives, the head of the Russian Virology
Institute, Academician Dmitry Lvov said at a press conference organized
by the RIA-Novosti news agency on Thursday.
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- "Up to one billion people could die around the whole
world in six months," Lvov said. The expert did not give a timeframe
for the epidemic, but said that it is highly probable that it will start
this year. "We are half a step away from a worldwide pandemic catastrophe,"
the academic said.
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- The Russian expert said that U.S. researchers possessed
data suggesting that if a pandemic hits, up to 700,000 people will fall
ill in the United States. He said that the population of the United States
can be roughly compared to that of Russia and thus the number of cases
will be approximately the same.
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- The academician said the pandemic was most likely to
be caused by the so-called bird flu stem. "The death rate among those
who contract this type of flu reaches 70 percent," Lvov said.
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- The expert called for the Russian authorities to prepare
for the epidemic. The country will need a reserve of at least 300,000 hospital
beds if an epidemic breaks out, he said.
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- http://www.mosnews.com/news/2004/10/28/pandemic.shtml
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- Comment
From Hugh Joseph
10-29-4
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- All I can say is that it looks like good ole Henry the
K is about to get the first installment of his wish as far as we "useless
eaters" are concerned!
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