Internet bird flu treatments 'could be dangerous'
(Filed: 20/02/2006)

None of the thousands of "alternative" treatments available for bird flu are backed by evidence that they work, a leading expert on alternative medicine has said.

Professor Edzard Ernst, professor of complementary medicine at the University of Exeter, said that some medicines could actually be detrimental to health, as they stimulate the immune system which could be counter productive.

Reliance on unproven alternative cures, many of which are advertised on the internet, could also prevent people from seeking effective treatment from doctors, he said.