Scientists are further concerned that traditional antiviral medications may not work on the hardy HSN1 sub-strain of influenza. For example, analysis has shown that the viruses are resistant to two of the medications, antadine and rimantadine. Though they are confident that other common treatments will work and are conducting studies to confirm this, scientists concede that it’s possible the H5N1 could mutate into a form that is resistant to all current antiviral treatments.

Other possibly dangerous strains of the avian influenza have been documented in many regions, including the Netherlands and North America. One recent, highly pathogenic outbreak in Gonzales County, Texas, was a result of the H5N2 subtype, and was reported in a flock of 7,000 chickens. The population of birds was culled, and the disease declared eradicated. It resulted in no human infections, though scientists warn that human infection was a risk during this time.

Iris Evan, a health minister in Alberta, Canada, says “most people don't understand how overwhelmed the health-care system would become if there were a flu pandemic. What worries me most is the ignorance of people in the public who assume that if they get sick there'll be something there for them, and they don't realize the devastation this could be.”

Flu would hit health-care workers as well. As many as a third of Canadians could fall ill at the same time.

There are few warning signs before a pandemic strikes – except a large and rapidly growing number of new and unrelated cases every day. The WHO says in the best-case scenario, two to seven million people will die in the next pandemic and tens of millions will need medical attention. But if the virus is particularly virulent, the number of deaths could be dramatically higher.” (Source: CBC News Online, March 8, 2005)