That development, in turn, could make it more difficult during downturns for monetary policy to support spending and employment, and keep inflation from falling too low.
Until recently the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus had been concentrated in East Asia, particularly in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and China. However, in the last 6 to 9 months, the virus has gone global, spreading to over 40 more countries (Brahambhatt, 2006).