Current avian flu strain deadlier than in past and could become endemic, study says

Scientists raise alarm over avian influenza strain's unprecedented deadliness and reach from farmed poultry and wild birds

The current strain of the avian influenza, which has been decimating bird populations globally, is perilously different than previous disease outbreaks, according to US researchers who are calling for urgent action.

A new study led by a team from the University of Maryland found that the current strain of the disease that is killing millions of birds is different" from previous decades, with birds dying in unprecedented numbers.