<h2 class=" eplus-wrapper">What's happening?</h2>

The news spread quickly around the world yesterday. In CambodiaA country in South East Asia bordered by Thailand, Vietnam and Laos., an 11-year-old girl died of H5N1, known as avian flu or bird flu.

Until now, bird flu was not able to spread to humans easily. Now, scientists think the virusA very small piece of material that causes disease. may have changed.

Some fear bird flu could cause a new pandemicAn outbreak of disease which occurs across a wide geographic area, as opposed to an epidemic, which is confined to a particular region.. But others think the world is much better prepared for a bird flu pandemic than we were for Covid-19The official scientific name for the type of coronavirus that swept the world from March 2020..

We have learnt from the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, leaders are more likely to act quickly to stop illnesses spreading.

Even before Covid-19, the UK was better prepared for a flu pandemic. Health experts thought flu was the most likely cause of the next pandemic, and they based their planning on this idea.

And many viruses never become an emergency.

On the other hand, some think Covid-19 means we are less, not more, prepared. They say it would be very hard to convince people to go into lockdown again.

<h2 class=" eplus-wrapper">Find out more</h2>

Yes! All pandemics start with one death. We have known for a long time that bird flu could be a real risk.

No! This is not the first small outbreak of bird flu. It is right to be prepared for a new pandemic, but bird flu may not be it.

Cambodia - A country in South East Asia bordered by Thailand, Vietnam and Laos.

Virus - A very small piece of material that causes disease.

Pandemic - An outbreak of disease which occurs across a wide geographic area, as opposed to an epidemic, which is confined to a particular region.

Covid-19 - The official scientific name for the type of coronavirus that swept the world from March 2020.