Agence France Presse

Manila, January 14

The bird flu virus, which has caused an Asia-wide health scare, has the potential to be far more serious than SARS, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned today.

"If the H5N1 (avian influenza) virus attaches itself to the common human flu virus and if it is then effectively transmitted, it has the potential to cause widespread damage," Peter Cordingley, the spokesman at the Manila-based WHO regional office said.

The H5N1 virus killed six of 18 people who fell sick in Hong Kong in 1997 and at least three - possibly 12 - deaths in Vietnam since October have been linked to the virus. He said the WHO expected more deaths in Vietnam to be due to the H5N1 virus. He said that one of two young children with the flu symptoms was in a critical condition in hospital.