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More Than Half of U.S. Physicians Believe Bird Flu Will Achieve Human Transmission Within Four Years

Posted on: Monday, 1 May 2006, 18:00 CDT

A new national survey of 656 physicians revealed that more than half of physicians (56%) believe that the Avian Bird Flu will achieve human transmission within four years in the U.S.

The national survey was conducted by HCD Research during April 6-7, to obtain the views of physicians on a potential bird flu pandemic within the U.S.

Among the findings:

-- A large majority of physicians (65%) believe that the avian bird flu will achieve human transmission within the next 72 months, while 61% feel it will happen in the next 60 months and 56% think it will occur within 48 months. However, fewer physicians (14%) feel the spread of avian flu will come about within the next year.

-- 34% of physicians consider the administration of an experimental vaccine for bird flu to 20 million people in the U.S. would be likely to help prevent a pandemic from occurring within the country. Conversely, 51% of physicians believe the vaccine would be unlikely to help prevent a pandemic and 15% remain neutral.

-- Nearly one quarter of physicians (24%) think there is likely to be a successful distribution of an efficacious vaccine that will immunize enough people in the U.S. to protect against a large-scale transmission of a human-to-human form of the avian flu during the next 24 months. However, the majority of physicians (65%) reported that the distribution of a vaccine to be unlikely and 12% remain neutral.

-- More than half of physicians (53%) do not worry much or at all about themselves or someone in their immediate family contracting the bird flu, while 39% worry somewhat and 7% worry a great deal.

"The results of our study indicate that while the majority of physicians believe that the avian bird flu will be successful at achieving human-to-human transmission, it will not occur within the next year or two," commented Glenn Kessler, co-founder and managing partner, HCD Research.

To view detailed results for the physicians' poll, please go to: http://publish.hcdhealth.com/P1014/

Editors/Reporters: For more information on the poll, or to speak with Glenn Kessler, please contact Vince McGourty, M&M Communications, Inc., at (908) 638-5555 or (vinmcg@earthlink.net).

HCD Research is a marketing and communications research company headquartered in Flemington, NJ. The company's services include traditional and web-based marketing and communications research. HCD Research is also the developer of hcdhealth.com, a web site for health care professionals. For additional information on HCD Research, access the company's web site at www.hcdi.net or call HCD Research at 908-788-9393.

Source: Business Wire

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