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The Bird Flu/Avian Flu, which is already spreading across Asia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, will make the jump across the Atlantic and arrive in the Americas within a year. This recent information comes from UN Experts recently assigned the task on making sure this disease doesn't spread.

Dr. David Nabarro, the coordinator of the United Nations' efforts to contain the pandemic and prepare for its possible jump to humans, said he believes the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus will make the leap across the Atlantic between six months and one year from now. Nabarro predicted the leap would take place in two stages. It will probably be carried by wild birds from West Africa to the Arctic, then carried south to North and South America, he said. How will the virus spread from birds? Cats!

Cats are believed to be vulnerable to bird flu because they prey on birds. If you have cats, oudoor cats to be precise, you may want to think about keeping them in the house from now on. Health officials have feared for some time now that the avian disease will mutate into a form that can jump between humans, putting millions of people in danger. Though much advertising of the drug Tamiflu show's promise in the protection against the Bird Flu, it doesn not cure the H5N1 virus. There is currently no cure for the disease.

As previously mentioned above, the UN team focusing on the bird flu threat is primarily concerned with stopping the spread of the disease. This may be alarming to some seeing that we've all expected the UN and WHO (World Health Organization) to eventually find a cure. Not so! While some research into a cure for the disease has started, stopping the spread of the vius has proven to be the main prority.

Guess I`ll be turning my kitties into house cats!!