EUROPE: Could Asia's bird flu wing its way to Europe? Millions of ducks, stints and storks will soon fly to north from their winter homes in Asia, fuelling fears they might carry the deadly H5N1 virus that has killed 22 people and ravaged poultry flocks across the region.
The World Health Organisation, which calls the Asian outbreaks "historically unprecedented", says wild birds could easily spread the disease.
It points to studies of past outbreaks that show infection can be introduced into domestic flocks by wild aquatic birds, including migratory birds capable of flying long distances.
"The virus multiplies in the intestines of these birds, which can carry the virus without developing signs of infection, and very large quantities of virus are shed in faeces," it said in a statement this week. Part of the fear is that some wild birds can carry the virus but not necessarily fall ill from it, allowing them to spread it along migratory routes, their droppings contaminating water sources shared by domestic poultry.
"Once introduced into domestic flocks, the virus, which is highly contagious, can be mechanically carried from farm to farm via contaminated items such as vehicles, clothing and equipment."
But ornithologists, in a flap over the bad press wild birds are getting, argue there is little proof wild fowl are guilty of spreading the species-jumping H5N1 virus now afflicting eight Asian countries.
"These fears that birds will fly over cities, poop all over the place and spread the virus are becoming irrational," said Lew Young, manager of Hong Kong's Mai Po Nature Reserve.
"Wild birds can carry all kinds of viruses, but in this case the only dangerous one is H5N1 and the incidence is very low. It doesn't mean every single duck is heaving with H5N1," he said.