Very Misleading News Headlines

I have got pages upon pages in my search in China, apparently put thru the AP, with this headline:

"WHO Warning: flu pandemic is very likely by the bird flu virus mutation caused"

It is most unfortunate, and will cause much concern. It all stems from the last line of every article which is this:

"World Health Organization has repeatedly warned: the next influenza pandemic, it is highly possible by the H5N1 bird flu virus mutation caused."


There is no current WHO Warning of a pandemic caused by a mutation.

Here is an example of an article:

WHO Warning: flu pandemic is very likely by the bird flu virus mutation caused
2009-01-08 09:18:04

January 6, Beijing confirmed a 19-year-old woman had been infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) died, which led to the relevant departments attach great importance to Shanghai. Last night, the Shanghai Municipal Health Bureau convened an emergency 19 districts and counties of Health and Disease Prevention and Control Center, called for the effective prevention and control of avian flu will include the city, including infectious diseases in winter and spring a good implementation of the various measures put in place. At the same time, it is necessary to further strengthen the "waders exposed personnel," the focus of monitoring, the establishment of early warning system, the "fever clinics" to strengthen pre-screening and related disinfection and isolation measures.

Under the existing "Shanghai prevention and control of human infection with avian influenza program of work", in accordance with the disposal of the principles of classification, human bird flu into four categories: first-class is found in other parts of the country of bird flu among animals or people abroad took place bird flu; second level is the city or the city bordering provinces found bird flu among animals, or of China's emergence of human avian influenza cases; third level is the city found suspected bird flu, confirmed sporadic cases, or and other provinces bordering the city found a number of cases, or of China's emerging local outbreak of human avian influenza pandemic; fourth level is the city of avian influenza found in the crowd of local outbreak. Or after the occurrence of epidemic cases, such as within 21 days of no new outbreaks or cases, the epidemic will depend on changes in adjusted accordingly.

It is learned that the city has been established to monitor the human avian influenza Influenza Surveillance in 43 points, 4 poultry farms (of which two Qingpu, Jiading 1, Chongming 1) and the Nanhui District People's Hospital Zhoupu carried out, and clearly the focus will monitor lock as "waders exposed persons", that is, in poultry breeding, slaughtering, processing (households), live poultry market and set up checkpoints to monitor the crossing point. Epidemic in the secondary state, exposed personnel monitoring will be extended to the city's poultry farms of all sizes, to monitor the implementation of a daily report; 3 and above the third grade in the epidemic, the monitoring points extended to the city of all poultry households, slaughtering, processing, trading market, as well as live birds crossing.

It is understood that in accordance with the relevant requirements, the city has set up 150 hospitals fever clinics, the implementation of strict pre-screening triage system, with pre-triage respiratory patients with fever must be fever clinics, without fever out-patient medical institutions should not determine the diagnosis of febrile respiratory patients, the nearest referral to set up fever clinics of medical institutions. At the same time, 54 hospitals set up a quarantine observation room.

City Center for Disease Control and Prevention recently issued forecast of diseases that once again reminded to influenza, epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis, measles and human infection of highly pathogenic avian influenza as the main representative of respiratory infections in winter and spring, because of variation of influenza strains fast, easy to cause large-scale outbreak. Only the last century, global influenza pandemic occurred on the 4th, which in 1957, 1968, 1977, an average spread to our country. Since 2003 the Southeast Asian emerging human infection of highly pathogenic avian influenza cases around the world for a new round of flu pandemic panic. World Health Organization has repeatedly warned: the next influenza pandemic, it is highly possible by the H5N1 bird flu virus mutation caused. (Reporter Chen Qing)

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