Ahead of the Bell: Bird Flu
Wednesday January 10, 8:14 am ET
Companies Working on Bird Flu Treatment May Gain Amid New Concerns in Asia
NEW YORK (AP) -- Bird flu concerns swooped back into the news Wednesday, bringing companies trying to find treatments for the deadly virus back into focus.
The H5N1 bird flu virus typically spreads during traditional flu season as temperatures drop in winter months. The virus is transmitted mostly among birds, but has transferred to humans who are in close contact with them, and health officials fear the H5N1 strain may become pandemic in the future.
Some officials worry this year will be a repeat of last winter when the virus was reported in many countries for the first time, including India, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Niger, France and Egypt.
The virus killed a 14-year-old Indonesian boy on Wednesday, just days after he was hospitalized, and recently resurfaced in Vietnam after a year-long hiatus. China reported Wednesday that a Chinese farmer contracted the deadly H5N1 strain in December, but has recovered and been released from a hospital.
Several companies may see their shares climb on the heightened concerns, including pharmacutical company Novavax Inc., which licensed drug delivery technology last week from IGI Inc. for use in developing a bird flu vaccine.
The disease has claimed at least 157 lives worldwide since 2003, according to the World Health Organization.
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