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Nature Medicine 12, 1105 (1 October 2006) | doi:10.1038/nm1493

Controlling immune response may cut bird flu death rate

Helen Pearson

Avian influenza kills so many of its human victims because it replicates profusely and over-stimulates the immune system: those findings, from the most extensive analysis of those infected, suggest that drugs to calm the immune system might help when standard antiviral treatment is unavailable or given too late.Since 2003, more than 240 people have been diagnosed with H5N1 infections, and more than 140 of them have died.