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Bird Flu
Bird flu is a very dangerous fatal disease that affects both birds and humans. It is an infection caused by avian (bird) influenza (flu) viruses that occur naturally among birds. Wild birds carry the viruses in their intestines, but usually do not get sick from them. However, avian influenza is very contagious among birds and can make some domesticated birds, including chickens, ducks, and turkeys, very sick and kill them. Bird flu has recently caused infections in humans, too.
While the way by which birds are infected is a simple one, people ‘s infection is complicated. Infected birds shed influenza virus in their saliva, nasal secretions, and feces. Susceptible birds become infected when they have contact with contaminated secretions or excretions or with surfaces that are contaminated with secretions or excretions from infected birds. Domesticated birds may become infected with avian influenza virus through direct contact with infected waterfowl or other infected poultry, or through contact with surfaces (such as dirt or cages) or materials (such as water or feed) that have been contaminated with the virus. On the other hand, the risk from avian influenza is generally low to most people, because the viruses do not usually infect humans. However, confirmed cases of human infection have been reported since 1997. Most cases of avian influenza infection in humans have resulted from contact with infected poultry (e.g., domesticated chicken, ducks, and turkeys) or surfaces contaminated with secretion from infected birds. The spread of avian influenza viruses from one ill person to another has been reported very rarely, and transmission has not been observed to continue beyond one person. During an outbreak of avian influenza among poultry, there is a possible risk to people who have contact with infected birds or surfaces that have been contaminated with secretions or excretions from infected birds.
Symptoms of avian influenza in humans have ranged from typical human influenza-like symptoms (e.g., fever, cough, sore throat, and muscle aches) to eye infections, pneumonia, severe respiratory diseases (such as acute respiratory distress), and other severe and life-threatening complications. The symptoms of avian influenza may depend on which virus caused the infection. Of the few avian influenza viruses that have crossed the species barrier to infect humans, H5N1 has caused the largest number of detected cases of severe disease and death in humans. In the current outbreaks in Asia and Europe more than half of those infected with the virus have died. So far, the spread of H5N1 virus from person to person has been limited and has not continued beyond one person. Nonetheless, because all influenza viruses have the ability to change, scientists are concerned that H5N1 virus one day could be able to infect humans and spread easily from one person to another. Because these viruses do not commonly infect humans, there is little or no immune protection against them in the human population.
Since December 2003, avian influenza A (H5N1) infections in poultry or wild birds have been reported in the following countries: Africa (Cameroon, Niger, Nigeria and recently in Egypt), Asia & the Pacific (Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Thailand, India, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran and Vietnam), Europe & Eurasia (Albania, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Switzerland, Turkey, and Ukraine). But Since January 2004 WHO has reported human cases of avian influenza A (H5N1) in the following countries: Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Turkey Vietnam in Asia, Europe and the Pacific besides Iraq in the Middle East.
Since no one can predict when a pandemic might occur, I think that experts from around the world should watch the H5N1 situation very closely and prepare for the possibility that the virus may begin to spread more easily and widely from person to person. According to WHO reports two antiviral medications, oseltamavir and zanamavir, would probably work to treat influenza caused by H5N1 virus, but additional studies still need to be done to demonstrate their effectiveness. There is no commercially available vaccine to protect humans against H5N1 virus that is being seen in Asia and Europe. People should avoid infection by many precautions depending on the fact that “ prevention is better than cure”.
