Bird flu could trigger global crisis: Scientist

The bird flu strain that killed 24 people in east Asia earlier this year and resurfaced in recent weeks has become endemic to the region, and the virus could trigger a global health crisis if it goes unchecked, a new study says.

In the study published by science journal Nature, researchers led by a Hong Kong microbiologist found that domestic ducks in southern China had played a key role in the creation of the H5N1 flu virus, while wild birds had probably helped its spread through Asia.