Bird flu ‘heading for Europe’

AS BIRD flu marches west across Russia toward Europe, health experts expressed optimism that European countries could stamp it out before the virus takes hold and spreads among people.

“Will this make its way to Western Europe? I think most of us have no doubt,” said Michael Osterholm, an expert on bird flu and director of the Centre for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota in the US.

But he and other experts say that while the situation is worrisome, Europe is better equipped than south-east Asia to quickly attack the disease that scientists fear could unleash a pandemic.