1996
Highly pathogenic H5N1 virus is isolated from a goose in Guangdong, China
1997
Outbreaks of a similar H5N1 virus in Hong Kong poultry. 18 human cases are recorded, the first ever known with any H5 virus and six die. Sometime after this, China starts widespread H5N1 vaccination of intensively-reared poultry
February 2003
Hong Kong family gets flu while visiting Fujian, China, and three die. H5N1 virus descended from the goose in Guangdong is isolated from two of the victims
December 2003
South Korea reports a poultry outbreak of H5N1. Vietnam has three human deaths. Both involve “Z-genotype” H5N1, descended from Guangdong strain
January 2004
January, Vietnam, Japan, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos report H5N1 in poultry; Vietnam and Thailand report human cases as well
February 2004
China and Indonesia report H5N1 in poultry. Poultry outbreaks are brought under control throughout region over the next two months
July 2004
Poultry outbreaks resume in China, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. Chinese scientists report that the Z-genotype H5N1 evolved in poultry in China and is still evolving, becoming more lethal for mammals
October 2004
Scientists discover ducks are acting as a silent reservoir for virus, a problem highly prevalent in Vietnam
December 2004
Poultry outbreaks continue in Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia and Laos. By the year end, there have been 49 human cases and 35 deaths
January 2005
Close contact between a sick Thai girl and her mother causes the first known human-to-human transmission in January - both die
February 2005
First fatal human cases are recorded in Cambodia. The UN agriculture and health agencies plead for money to stamp out virus in poultry
March 2005
UK starts stockpiling the antiviral drug Tamiflu
April 2005
Thousands of wild water birds die at Qinghai Lake, China. The virus is the Z-genotype combined with 2003 H5N1
May 2005
Vietnam starts vaccinating poultry against H5N1
June 2005
China declares legal action against anyone collecting samples of dead birds or reporting outbreaks outside of the country's official channels
July 2005
Indonesia reports first human case. Russia has H5N1 outbreaks in poultry and wild birds across Siberia, and the virus is highly similar to the Qinghai strain
August 2005
Poultry and wild birds are hit by H5N1 in Kazakhstan. Wild birds at a lake in Mongolia die of a Qinghai-like strain. US officials report that the first trials of H5N1 vaccine show it is not effective except at very high doses
October 2005
An H5N1 virus similar to the Qinghai strain hits poultry in Turkey and Romania, and wild birds in Croatia. Taiwan detects H5N1 in smuggled songbirds from China - and Britain finds H5N1 in imported birds held in quarantine. China reports renewed poultry outbreaks in populous eastern provinces. Generic drug makers start making Tamiflu
November 2005
US launches $1.7 billion national pandemic plan. China reports first human cases. UN agencies and the World Bank meet to plan a world pandemic strategy and plead again for money to stamp out virus in poultry
December 2005
Tests of a lower-dose H5N1 vaccine containing an immune-stimulating additive cause concern after showing it only works at higher doses than expected – meaning the limited supply of vaccine likely to be available could treat fewer people. At the end of 2005, there have been 143 human cases and 76 deaths
January 2006
Turks and Iraqi Kurds start dying of H5N1 as poultry outbreaks spread. Donor countries respond to World Bank calls for funds by pledging $1.4 billion
February 2006
H5N1 bird flu reaches Africa, confirming the fears of public health experts who worry that human poverty and millions of backyard poultry could combine to produce many human infections and potentially a human pandemic virus. H5N1 is also found in dead wild birds, mainly swans, in Italy, Germany, Greece, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Azerbaijan, Iran and Austria. Europe pulls its poultry indoors to shield them from migrating birds, but UK refuses, citing “no imminent danger”
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