Cheney - pandeemia võib põhjustada olulisi probleeme majandusele
WASHINGTON, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Vice President Dick Cheney said that if avian flu were to arrive in the United States, it could deal a blow to the U.S. economy because of disruptions to businesses, schools and transportation systems.
"It's the kind of thing I think that probably would have a major impact," Cheney said in an interview with radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt.
"I think also when you start to think about a pandemic, some of the early measures basically are to shut down transportation systems, close schools and public meeting places and so forth in order to minimize the possibility of transmission," Cheney said.
H5N1 avian influenza now mostly affects birds but it has occasionally jumped to people, killing just around 80 in six countries. The fear is that the virus could mutate into a human influenza, spread quickly and kill millions globally.
"There are things clearly that would have significant economic consequences were there to be such a pandemic," he added.link