US researcher warns Crimeans of bird flu pandemic (Ukraine)

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Bird flu pandemic can affect not only Crimea or Ukraine, but the whole world as well, director of communicable disease control and prevention for the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, California University Prof. Kim Farley said at a news conference in Simferopol yesterday.

Farley noted that he came to Ukraine to raise awareness of the population about the avian flu problem. “I expect that cases of bird flu infections will, most possibly, take place. The reason is that via Ukraine, and especially via Crimea, routes of migrant birds pass,” he said. The scientist believes that it is necessary to carry out an information campaign among people, doctors, emergency officers about the threat of bird flu infection and drew reporters’ attention that “the world must get prepared for a pandemic already now.” “The question is not whether a pandemic will happen, it is when it will happen. The previous pandemic occurred 40 years ago, and, most possibly, the time has come,” the expert said. According to Kim Farley, nowadays there are two schools: the first one says the pandemic will be caused by bird flu, the second one that the pandemic will be provoked by another virus.