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Bird Flu Virus (H5N1), Health Implications, Global Distribution & Recommendations for Prevention
Bird flu virus is fast becoming one of the main emerging virusesof the twenty-first century, threatening human health andwellbeing. This virus was first discovered in Italy 100 yearsago and is now found worldwide. The virus shot into spotlightwhen human cases of the disease were reported in South East Asiaand continues to pose a threat to the human populatio...
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n and ifthe proper corrective actions are not adopted in a timely mannerthis virus may lead to the next pandemic of this century. There are fifteen types of bird flu viruses of which H5 and H7are the most contagious and fatal in birds. The type currentlycausing concern is the deadly H5N1 strain. Variations in theH5N1 type have been reported in different countries affectedwith bird flu outbreaks.Natural carriers of the bird flu virus are migratory wildfowl ofwhich wild ducks form the largest group. These carriers likehuman carriers of viral infections do no show any signs of thedisease and are unlikely to develop an infection. However,domestic birds are particularly susceptible to the H5N1 virus.Wildfowl and other migratory birds store the H5N1 stain of virusin their intestines and the virus is passed out in the feces.Dried feces can become pulverized and transported i...
...n the windwhere it can contaminate and infect other birds and humans.Humans can become infected by inhaling particles of fecescontaining H5N1 virus. Common symptoms of H5N1 resemble otherflu symptoms such as fever, soar throat, coughs, malaise andconjunctivitis. Researchers have now found that H5N1 virus caninfect other body parts including the lungs.In 1977 the first human cases of bird flu were seen in HongKong. According to the World Health Organization 118 confirmedcases of bird flu have found in humans in Indonesia, Vietnam,Thailand and Cambodia leading to 61 deaths as of 20th October,2005.The bird flu virus (H5N1) is capable of and is believed to betransferred from human to human. Some isolated cases from beendocumented and are as follows: (i) a case in Thailand where agirl acquired the disease from her mother who also died, (ii) in2004, two sisters died in Vietnam after contracting bird flufrom their brother who had died form an unidentified respiratoryillness, (iii) in 1997, a doctor caught the disease from apatient with the H5N1 virus.Could rapid transfer of the H5N1 virus between humans mean apossible pandemic? This is a frightening possibility and is mostfeared outcome since it is now believed that the pandemic thatoccurred in 1918 was caused by an avian flu virus. Researchers are now examining the possibility that the H5N1virus could exchange genes with the common human flu virus. Ifthis occurs in the case of simultaneous infections this may leadto a possible pandemic. But, based on the pathogenic pattern ofthe H5N1 strain, this strain so far only infects or istransferred to close relatives and stops there. This may be asign of relief, but if the H5N1 virus acquires the ability totransfer between humans, scientists estimate it may becatastrophic leading to at least 2-50 million deaths worldwide.At present there exists no definite vaccine against the H5N1virus. Several prototypes are being developed that may offerprotection. Antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu are available thatmay reduce symptoms and limit the spread of the virus. Recently,a Vietnamese patient who was infected with H5N1 has becomeresistant to Tamiflu. Experts are now suggesting that it may behelpful to use other drugs from the same family such as Relenza(zanamivir).What measures can be taken to prevent the spread of bird fluvirus (H5N1)? Several measures may be implemented to prevent thespread of H5N1: (i) Culling of infected birds to prevent thetransmission of the virus to humans. (ii) Quarantine and treatinfected human promptly with antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu orother similar drugs. (iii) Pens should be protected fromwildfowl and migratory birds. (iv) People who are engaged incleaning, slaughtering and processing of poultry should take thenecessary precautionary measures to prevent themselves frombeing infected and minimize the spread of infection. (v)Monitoring of the migratory patterns of wild birds shouldprovide early alerts of the arrival of infected birds whichcould then be targeted on arrival. (vi) People who eat poultryare not at risk for the H5N1 strain, but precautionary measuressuch as cooking all meat to a temperature of at least 70 șCshould be done. Eggs should be thoroughly cooked. (vii) Poultryimports from foreign countries should be accompanied by thenecessary certification from the relevant competent authority inthe country of origin indicating that the poultry carcasses arefree from disease and fit for human consumption....
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