Avian flu warrants watching, not panic
By NASEEM SOWTI
nsowti@muncie.gannett.com
MUNCIE - This year, the avian flu, or bird flu, has almost overshadowed the regular flu season. With a flu pandemic - global outbreak of the disease - long overdue, scientists believe this strain could be the one.
The cause for concern among scientists and world leaders is lack of protection against this deadly disease, especially if it becomes transmissible among humans.
The bird flu is caused by flu viruses that occur naturally among birds. According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, many wild birds carry the virus in their intestines and do not become sick from it. However, some domesticated birds like chickens, ducks and turkeys easily die from the illness.
The bird flu was not a concern until 1997, when the virus started killing massive numbers of domesticated birds and then jumped from birds to humans, all in Asia, most of whom died from the disease.
But the good news is that there are no confirmed cases of human-to-human transmission, although scientists haven't crossed out the possibility.
According the scientists the avian flu has to mutate and change its genetic material before it can become contagious among humans.
One possible theory suggests that if a person with human flu is infected with avian flu, there is a possibility of the two strains combining and resulting in a transmissible strain.
So the first shield to a possible avian flu outbreak among humans is the current flu vaccine, because "it could provide a partial protection," said Larry T. Glickman, professor of veterinary epidemiology and environmental health at Purdue University.
Worldwide, scientists are scrambling to develop a vaccine against the bird flu, but vaccine production is a complicated and time-consuming process and "it's going to be six to eight months down the road before something becomes available," said Shawn Richards, a respiratory epidemiologist at Indiana State Department of Health.
"So we have to take public health measures, and because this is a new virus, we'll need twice the dose for each person," Richards added. She predicted that as much as one third of the population could be out sick and "a certain percentage will die. It's a very serious situation."
So far, documents show that those infected with the bird flu have been in close contact with infected birds. "So it's not like just walking down the street and getting infected," Richards said.
Despite the efforts of eight Asian countries heavily affected by bird flu, the bird flu is making its way across the seas. As of last week Turkey and Romania confirmed cases of infection in the poultry.
Scientists and the medical community are advising people not to panic, but to keep a close eye on avian flu.
http://www.thestarpress.com/articles/6/049011-9576-004.html
By NASEEM SOWTI
nsowti@muncie.gannett.com
MUNCIE - This year, the avian flu, or bird flu, has almost overshadowed the regular flu season. With a flu pandemic - global outbreak of the disease - long overdue, scientists believe this strain could be the one.
The cause for concern among scientists and world leaders is lack of protection against this deadly disease, especially if it becomes transmissible among humans.
The bird flu is caused by flu viruses that occur naturally among birds. According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, many wild birds carry the virus in their intestines and do not become sick from it. However, some domesticated birds like chickens, ducks and turkeys easily die from the illness.
The bird flu was not a concern until 1997, when the virus started killing massive numbers of domesticated birds and then jumped from birds to humans, all in Asia, most of whom died from the disease.
But the good news is that there are no confirmed cases of human-to-human transmission, although scientists haven't crossed out the possibility.
According the scientists the avian flu has to mutate and change its genetic material before it can become contagious among humans.
One possible theory suggests that if a person with human flu is infected with avian flu, there is a possibility of the two strains combining and resulting in a transmissible strain.
So the first shield to a possible avian flu outbreak among humans is the current flu vaccine, because "it could provide a partial protection," said Larry T. Glickman, professor of veterinary epidemiology and environmental health at Purdue University.
Worldwide, scientists are scrambling to develop a vaccine against the bird flu, but vaccine production is a complicated and time-consuming process and "it's going to be six to eight months down the road before something becomes available," said Shawn Richards, a respiratory epidemiologist at Indiana State Department of Health.
"So we have to take public health measures, and because this is a new virus, we'll need twice the dose for each person," Richards added. She predicted that as much as one third of the population could be out sick and "a certain percentage will die. It's a very serious situation."
So far, documents show that those infected with the bird flu have been in close contact with infected birds. "So it's not like just walking down the street and getting infected," Richards said.
Despite the efforts of eight Asian countries heavily affected by bird flu, the bird flu is making its way across the seas. As of last week Turkey and Romania confirmed cases of infection in the poultry.
Scientists and the medical community are advising people not to panic, but to keep a close eye on avian flu.
http://www.thestarpress.com/articles/6/049011-9576-004.html