List of Countries With Bird Flu

The list of countries with confirmed cases of infectious Avian Influenza (H5N1) continues to expand as of 2010. Many countries with bird flu cases, however, have not had any human cases so far and have only experienced infections in poultry or wild birds. Most forms of bird flu are mild and wild birds often carry the disease without getting sick. However, the H5 subtype can mutate into highly pathogenic and deadly forms, according to the World Health Organization.

Human Cases

• The first documented case of the H5N1 type of bird flu in a human occurred in Hong Kong in 1997. The outbreak began in southeast Asia in mid-2003. This virulent strain of bird flu spread to Europe in 2005. As of 2006, more than 260 human cases of H5N1 avian flu have been confirmed in humans, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Worldwide, health care officials have documented cases of H5N1 in humans in Asia, Africa and Eurasia. In Asia, cases have been documented in Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Iraq, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Thailand, and Vietnam. In Africa, human cases were found in Dijbouti, Egypt and Nigeria. Human cases were also found in one Eurasian country, Turkey.

Poultry Cases

• The H5N1 virus is very contagious among poultry and bird flu viruses are easily spread from one farm to another by live birds, on people's shoes and equipment. According to the World Health Organization, H5N1 viruses have survived on fecal samples for up to six days. More nations with human cases of the highly virulent H1N1 bird flu have documented cases of it in domestic poultry flocks.

  In Asia, those nations include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. In Africa, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d' Ivoire, Dijbouti, Ghana, Egypt, Niger, Nigeria, Sudan and Togo have reported cases. The Middle East is not immune with H1N1 documented in poultry in Israel, Palestian Authority Territories and Saudi Arabia. While in Eurasia, the nations of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkey have poultry cases. H1N1 has also spread to poultry in Europe, with the nations of Albania, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Sweden, Ukraine and the United Kingdom experiencing documented cases.

Wild Bird Cases

• Even wild birds are susceptible to the H1N1 virus. World Health Organization officials say, "at least some species of migratory waterfowl are now thought to be carrying the H5N1 virus in its highly pathogenic form and introducing it to new geographical areas located along their flight routes."

  Confirmed cases of the virulent form of bird flu have occurred in Asia in the nations of Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, China, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kuwait, Mongolia, Thailand and Vietnam. While in Africa, the nations of Egypt, Cote d'Ivoire and Nigeria have documented wild bird cases. In Eurasia Georgia, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkey also have H1N1 in the wild bird population. In Europe, H1N1 cases were confirmed in wild birds in Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.