Home>News Center>World
         
 

Study: Bird flu biggest current worry
(AP)
Updated: 2006-01-27 09:12

The global threat that most preoccupies the world's business leaders is the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus, according to a study released Thursday at the World Economic Forum.

Other global risks, such as terrorist attacks and the possibility of an even bigger oil price shock, were deemed just as dangerous, but less likely to happen in the coming year, said the "Global Risks 2006" report.

The H5N1 bird flu strain has ravaged poultry stocks in Asia since 2003 and recently spread to Europe through migratory birds. World health authorities fear the disease could mutate into a form that spreads easily from person-to-person, sparking a flu pandemic that could kill millions of people.

So far, though, human cases of the disease have been mostly limited to people who have come into direct contact with infected birds. According to the World Health Organization, 83 people have died of the disease since 2003.

"If the avian flu H5N1 virus mutates to enable human-to-human transmission, it may disrupt our global society and economy in an unprecedented way," said the 22-page risk study, which was released by a panel of companies and experts.

Death tolls could be on the level of the 1918-1919 Spanish flu pandemic, which is estimated to have killed between 40 million and 50 million people worldwide, it said.

The report also said it was very likely that 5 million more people would become infected with HIV and tuberculosis this year.

While the report predicted a number of small-scale terrorist attacks in 2006, it said large-scale simultaneous attacks were less likely, primarily because the capability of terrorists to coordinate their activities had diminished.

"Terrorist attacks involving aircraft and high explosives have already had a massive global impact," the study said, but added, "The capacity of terrorist organizations to act globally in a coordinated way has diminished."

The risk of a major attack will rise in coming years, however, it said.

The report warned of other possible severe shocks, such as an oil price spike to $100 a barrel or an earthquake hitting Tokyo, but said those risks had a low likelihood of occurring.

"The world suffered an oil-price spike above $70 in 2005," the study said. "The world's reliance on hydrocarbons and growing concerns about the geopolitics of supply mean that oil prices will inevitably be an issue of concern in 2006 and beyond."

But even if oil prices should rise above $100, it is "relatively unlikely" that they would remain so high for an extended period, it said.

It said the Pakistan earthquake provided a lesson that the world lacks the capacity to respond sufficiently to major disasters and "a warning that many parts of the world remain highly vulnerable to natural disaster."

The Forum study was based primarily on contributions from Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc., Merrill Lynch and Swiss Reinsurance Co. and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.



USS Park Royal crew await for Rice
Coffin of Milosevic flew to Belgrade
Kidnapping spree in Gaza Strip
 
  Today's Top News     Top World News
 

Australia, US, Japan praise China for Asia engagement

 

   
 

Banker: China doing its best on flexible yuan

 

   
 

Hopes high for oil pipeline deal

 

   
 

Possibilities of bird flu outbreaks reduced

 

   
 

Milosevic buried after emotional farewell

 

   
 

China considers trade contracts in India

 

   
  Journalist's alleged killers held in Iraq
   
  No poisons found in Milosevic's body
   
  US, Britain, France upbeat on Iran agreement
   
  Fatah officials call for Abbas to resign
   
  Sectarian violence increases in Iraq
   
  US support for troops in Iraq hits new low
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  Related Stories  
   
China's eighth human bird flu patient recovering
   
China announces seventh bird flu death
   
Bird flu claims another life in China
Manufacturers, Exporters, Wholesalers - Global trade starts here.
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 国产激情久久久久影院小草| 成人麻豆日韩在无码视频| 亚洲精品成人网久久久久久| 老师xxxx69动漫| 国产日产久久高清欧美一区| 57pao一国产成永久免费| 天天做人人爱夜夜爽2020毛片| 两个人看的www在线| 日本卡一卡二新区| 乱人伦精品视频在线观看| 欧美换爱交换乱理伦片不卡片| 亚洲视频在线免费观看| 精品中文字幕乱码一区二区| 四虎永久免费地址在线观看| 青青草成人免费| 国产成人午夜高潮毛片| 波多野结衣资源在线| 国产系列在线播放| 99在线视频免费| 天天久久影视色香综合网| 一区二区三区四区精品| swag台湾在线| 日韩中文字幕免费| 久别的草原电视剧免费观看| 欧美一级黄色影院| 亚洲女人18毛片水真多| 毛片手机在线观看| 亚洲综合激情另类小说区| 男人和女人做免费做爽爽视频| 全免费a级毛片免费看| 精品福利视频导航| 喷出巨量精子系列在线观看| 色费女人18女人毛片免费视频| 国产又色又爽在线观看| 麻豆安全免费网址入口| 国产成人AV区一区二区三| 国产香蕉一区二区在线网站| 国产欧美日韩中文久久| 麻豆国产精品有码在线观看| 国产欧美日韩一区二区加勒比| 四虎永久在线观看视频精品|