The economic ramifications seemed bad enough. An epidemic of avian influenza virus roaring through Dutch poultry farms for the past 2 months―more than 20 million chickens have already been slaughtered―is expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars. But in recent weeks, public health officials already on edge about SARS have reported an unexpected human health toll as well, sparking worries that the disease may transform into a global flu pandemic.
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