Most people know that bird flu is beginning to emerge as a serious health threat to the world.
There are real concerns and in this article we give answers to 10 questions which many individuals are asking about bird flu.
1. What is Bird Flu?
Avian influenza or 'bird flu' is a highly contagious disease of birds, caused by influenza A viruses. In birds, the viruses can present with a range of symptoms from mild illness and low mortality, to a highly contagious disease with a near 100% fatality rate.
The bird flu virus currently affecting poultry and some people in Asia is the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of the virus.
As the virus can remain viable in contaminated droppings for long periods, it can be spread among birds, and from birds to other animals, through ingestion or inhalation.
All bird species are thought to be susceptible to avian influenza. Migratory birds such as wild ducks and geese can carry the viruses, often without any symptoms of illness, and show the greatest resistance to infection.
Domestic poultry flocks are particularly vulnerable to epidemics of a rapid, severe and fatal form of the disease.
2. Can Bird Flu Infect People?
People are rarely infected with bird flu viruses. Those who have become infected have had close direct contact with infected birds.
The first documented cases of bird flu infecting people occurred in Hong Kong in 1997 and this was also the H5N1 strain of virus. Investigation showed that close contact with live infected poultry was the source of the infection.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is mounting evidence that the H5N1 strain has a unique capacity to jump the species barrier and cause severe disease, with high mortality, in people.
3. Can Bird Flu Travel From Person to Person?
There is no firm evidence that the H5N1 strain which caused the outbreaks in South East Asia has acquired the ability to pass easily from person to person or to sustain transmission.
So far, while some instances of spread from one person directly to another have been reported, these have been isolated one-off occurrences with no further spread to people, and the route of transmission remains unconfirmed.
4. Have There Been Previous Outbreaks of Bird Flu Affecting People?
The first documented cases of bird flu in people appeared in Hong Kong in 1997, when 18 people infected with an H5N1 virus strain were admitted to hospital, six of whom died. The source of infection in most cases was traced to contact with diseased birds on farms, and in live poultry markets.
As of 13 October 2005, 117 reported cases of H5N1 infection in people have occurred in four countries – Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Indonesia. Sixty of these have been fatal.
5. What is the Source of the Current Outbreak of Bird Flu?
The outbreak now concerning health experts began in poultry in South Korea in mid-December 2003, and has affected birds in many countries in Asia, Russia, and most recently Turkey and Rumania. It involves a variant of the same virus subtype as that associated with the 1997 Hong Kong outbreak.
6. What is the Risk of a Human Influenza Pandemic?
A pandemic can be broadly described as a massive epidemic. It occurs on a much greater scale than an epidemic, spreading around the world and affecting many hundreds of thousands of people across many countries.
Experts are concerned that the virus could adapt, giving it greater affinity for humans. Or that it could exchange genes with a human flu virus, thereby producing a completely new virus strain capable of spreading easily between people, and causing a pandemic. By necessity, if a new strain were to occur then few people, if any, would have a natural immunity to it.
7. What Can I Do to Protect Myself and my Family?
There is some evidence that recent H5N1 viruses are susceptible to a class of antiviral drugs called neuraminidase inhibitors.
The UK Government is expanding its stockpile of antiviral drugs against the contingency of a flu pandemic, whether due to an H5N1 or another new strain. On 1 March 2005, the Health Secretary announced the procurement of 14.6 million treatment courses of the antiviral, Tamiflu - enough to treat a quarter of the UK population.
Individuals can purchase Tamiflu privately. The manufacturer, Roche, is working hard to supply what is required. World-wide demand, however, has increased dramatically recently and there may be shortages.
8. Is a Vaccine Currently Available for Bird Flu?
The present position is that there is no vaccine for bird flu.
There are, however, several potential vaccines at various stages of testing and production. Whether these will be suitable for use against a new pandemic flu strain depends on how much the pandemic strain may have mutated and changed from the original H5N1 virus strain used to create the vaccine.
9. What is the Advice for Travellers?
Travellers to areas experiencing outbreaks of the disease in poultry are recommended to avoid contact with live animal markets and poultry farms.
Travellers should not attempt to bring any live birds or poultry products back to their own country.
10. How Can I Keep up-to-date With Bird Flu Matters?
The following organisations have sections on avian influenza which provide useful and regularly updated information:
Health Protection Agency
http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/avianinfluenza/menu.htm
World Health Organization
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/en/index.html
UN Food and Agriculture Organization
http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/subjects/en/health/diseases-cards/special_avian.html
Bird flu has the potential to be the basis of an influenza pandemic. The experts are predicting that there will be a pandemic, although it is not possible to say when it will occur.
The message is to be alert and be aware of the advice being given by your government.
About the author:
Brian McGregor is author of the ebook ‘What You Need to Know About Bird Flu’. This publication outlines the bird flu issue in much more detail, and is available free from: http://www.workwinners.com/bird-flu/d-bird-flu.htm
Every year, there are always families that are embarrassed since all
their family members come down with a serious flu bug that seems to be on
“unlimited repeat” throughout the whole flu season. They really don’t know
what’s wrong with them, but they complain about it all the time.
This is very true of many people, and it’s sad that they do not have
the basic knowledge to prevent the flu. We often read reports that say,
“Wash your hands before eating.” However, how many really obey this
fundamental rule? It’s so simple and basic, yet people forget this healthy
policy for themselves and their family. Once one family member gets the
flu, there is a very high possibility of spreading it to the whole family.
If you don’t want to complain about the flu, you should first ask
yourself, “Have I become too lazy?”.
In a public place, parents often put food into their child’s mouth to
make sure the child is eating well. It’s love from the parents, but it’s
also the source of flu. If that parent has not cleaned his or her hands
with hot water and soap before eating, bacteria stays on the hands, and
that person—or their child—eats all that bacteria. Ingesting such germs is
the best way to catch the flu, just as surely as if you had opened the
door for the virus and said “welcome” to the flu bug. People often enjoy
delicious food in a buffet restaurant. Many lick their fingers after
eating on their way to making a second trip to the buffet line. If that
person has the flu, then touches those public ladles, the next person in
line uses that ladle and then licks their fingers—“delicious!” But what
happens? They get the flu! Isn’t that right?
No one wants to be in bed with the flu or make their family unhappy.
Ask yourself: “Who decides whether I get the flu or not?” The answer is
simple: You do!We must remember that we always have to protect ourselves
as much as possible by any method. Moreover, we are not even for ourselves
but also the whole members of our family if we keep that simple goal in
mind. We have to prepare everything enough to face the flu seriously. At
least, we have to ask ourselves "what's flu exactly?" to make sure that we
know it well! Moreover, Is there the other option of protecting ourselves?
Think about it.
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