Has the Bird Flu Virus Outbreak Begun?

by: Michael Colucci

The bird flu virus has been scaring the wits out of health officials for the past couple of years. The first H5N1 strain developed way back during 1997 at Hong Kong. The first development wasn’t given much of a concern.

Eventually the virus popped back out during 2003. It has first greatly affected a whole number of birds. The birds that became infected died really fast after showing signs of symptoms. The virus also spread quickly towards other flocks as well, causing them to die to.

The people who have had lots of exposure with this infected domesticated birds, naturally became the first human casualties. In fact, the infected have reached 140 in five years time in the Far eats. Eventually killing more than 50 people infected.

What is scaring the scientists now are the recent developments of the bird flu in Turkey. They fear that the virus may have already mutated and the transmission from one human to the other has now been possible. This is because in the span of a week, 15 people were reported to be infected already.

That development definitely scared the officials in Europe. It should also be causing major concern to other countries as well. Neighboring countries are becoming stricter on trucks that are coming from Turkey. The vehicles that pass by are being sprayed with disinfectant.

France has already released a budget to buy vaccines, antiviral and face masks.

However all these preparation being done may still not be that be helpful. The best way to prevent the pandemic from happening is to learn how to isolate the infected area. This is important because the virus may still escape via a human transport or a bird that may cause more contamination.

To calm people down, the number of 15 within a week is not much for concern. If the number reaches more than a 100, it shall be a cause for concern.

There are also many critics about the current medication available to help against bird flu. They say that the medication may not really be helpful and stockpiling it is just a waste of money.

The vaccine as of now may still be imperfect, but it does help a person a better chance to get through with the flu.

As of the moment, since we have no idea if this virus could become the next pandemic or just a big bust. What’s important is that we try to live a healthier lifestyle. Maybe that’s what this virus is all about anyway. It’s just telling us that maybe we should change our lifestyle into a healthier one.

About The Author

Michael Colucci is a technical writer for http://www.bird-flu-facts.org - A free site that offers facts on the history, prevention, vaccines and more on the Bird Flu Virus.

Bird Flu – Waiting In The Wings

by: Andrew Taylor

Avian influenza is spreading at an alarming rate and if it continues its flight soon it would turn into another pandemic.

Starting in the mid-2003 in South-East Asia, the pathogenic avian flu is the largest and most severe form bird flu going by the number of countries it has affected. The H5N1 virus that typically affects the bird populace has proved lethal. So far it has caused the death or destruction of an estimated 150 million birds in countries like Vietnam, Japan, Republic of Korea, Thailand, Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Indonesia, China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Turkey, Romania and Malaysia. There are unconfirmed reports of bird flu from India and France also.

The H5N1 virus is also of serious concern for human health. It has been found to be highly contagious form of virus and can easily transmit to humans through the contact of excretal or nasal secretions from infected birds. If not detected and treated early, the bird flu can prove fatal. And if precautionary measures are not taken at the earliest, it could change into a form that is highly infectious and could easily spread from person to person. Such a change could mark the start of flu pandemic. Already, a number of countries have reported confirmed human cases and even deaths due to avian influenza and this number is constantly on the rise.

Bird Flu Prevention

‘Prevention is the best cure’ goes the famous adage. The precautionary measures initiated in anticipation go a long way in curbing aggravation.

Firstly, the poultry farm owners must send random samples of their birds for thorough examination to the nearest veterinary/avian lab. All the infected birds must be immediately culled and the others properly vaccinated. The workers at the poultry farms must cover themselves properly so as to avoid a direct contact with the infected secretions from birds.

It is perfectly safe to eat poultry products provided the food is thoroughly and properly cooked. It is believed that the avian influenza virus cannot survive temperatures above 700 C. Juices from raw poultry and poultry products should not be allowed during food preparation to touch or mix with items eaten raw. One must wash his hands properly with soap and hot water after coming in contact with the poultry products.

Bird Flu Treatment

Though vaccines are available to counter seasonal influenza but no such shot has been developed till date against the H5N1 virus.

Only two drugs are found to be effective against the deadly avian flu – Tamiflu (oseltamivir) and Relenza (zanamivir). These drugs are effective only if taken within 48 hours of occurrence of first symptoms. The inhibitive factors regarding bird flu treatment seem to be the prohibitive costs and the limited production of these drugs.

For convenience, the patients can buy Tamiflu online only after proper diagnosis and prescription for the drug.

The bird flu is certainly a potential pandemic threat and must be addressed globally on humanitarian basis.

About The Author

Andrew Taylor is an associated editor to the website http://www.checkflu.com, a Roche Tamiflu Online site, is committed to provide visitors with complete information on Roche Tamiflu, Treatment of Influenza, Tamiflu, Influenza, Avian Influenza, H5N1 Virus, Human Transmission, Bird Flu, Mutating Virus, Neuraminidase Inhibitors, Oseltamivir Phosphate, Treatment of Flu, Types of Influenza virus and other related topics. Your feedback & comments will be highly appreciated at andrewtlr@gmail.com.