Bird flu spreads rapidly

There's no evidence yet that bird flu has learned to propogate through human to human contact, but the rapid spreading of the virus through contact with birds is certainly not a good sign. Yesterday, they were talking about 22 suspected cases in Turkey. Today, it's up to 78.

Bird flu swept westwards through Turkey to the borders of Europe, sending local people scurrying to hospital for tests for the lethal infection. Officials said 78 people were suspected of having the virus which has killed three children in the east and may have infected a dozen more in the capital, Ankara.

In Istanbul, Turkey's largest city and the gateway to Europe, 23 people, half of them children, were being tested in hospital.

Russia banned travel to Turkey yesterday and Iran closed its border with the country.