Virus expert: Bird flu still pandemic danger, warns against complacency

WHO declared the swine flu pandemic over last month. The latest death toll is just over 18,600 - far below the millions that were once predicted.

Hong Kong : A leading virus expert has urged health authorities around the world to stay vigilant even though the recent swine flu pandemic was less deadly than expected, warning that bird flu could spark the next global outbreak.

WHO declared the swine flu pandemic over last month. The latest death toll is just over 18,600 - far below the millions that were once predicted. The head of the global health body has credited good preparation and luck, as the H1N1 swine flu virus didn't mutate as some had feared.

Speaking to reporters at a conference in Hong Kong, researcher Robert Webster warned against complacency and predicted that the next pandemic could be sparked by a virus that spreads from water fowl to pigs and then onto humans - such as the H5N1 strain of bird flu, which has killed 300 people over the past seven years.