 The Avian
Influenza Pandemic... Are You Prepared for What Could Be the Most Virulent and
Devastating Global Bird Flu Ever?
The global population is currently
facing a threat unlike any other to come its way in almost a
century! Avian Influenza, or simply Bird Flu as
many call it, may be on the verge of developing into a
highly contagious human borne flu virus that could prove fatal to a huge number of
people worldwide. Some health experts are
predicting that more than 100 million people will contract a
new strain of deadly avian flu, and that a large number of those
infected by the virus will succumb to it.
Should there be an outbreak, hospitals may
be overwhelmed and unable to cope with the enormous surge of
patients. In many areas, people will be unable to go about
their daily routines. International trade and travel is sure
to be
disrupted and the entire global economy will experience a massive downturn.
It has been said that pandemics
were narrowly averted in 1997 in Hong Kong when a bird flu
outbreak killed 6 people and also in 2002 when the SARS virus hit.
In both instances, swift action was taken to curtail the
spread of the virus, and included the mass culling of poultry in
affected areas. Hopefully a pandemic can be avoided this
time around too, however experts like The World Health
Organization (WHO) claim that a massive and
devastating outbreak is imminent. Imposing bans on exports
and imports of poultry will have a limited effect on blocking the spread of
this flu virus. Initially, migrating wild birds will be a
big
cause for concern and it has been said that countries
located along migratory routes will be the first
affected but that eventually no country will be spared as
the contamination fans out from those areas first hit. Once
the virus has adapted itself into a variant that is highly contagious to humans
it will spread at even greater speed through person to person contact.
Many will contract it through passive contact, such as coming into contact with
microscopic virus spores after they have been dispersed into the atmosphere through
the coughing and sneezing of those already infected. The WHO has estimated that between 2,000,000 and 7,400,000 people
will die, they do however admit that this is a conservative estimate, so that
total could indeed reach a much higher figure.
Why is the H5N1 Strain of Avian Flu the Cause of So Much
Concern?
'Bird flu' is not a new virus,
various strains have always existed but most have never
posed any threat to humans, however one particular strain, H5N1,
has been the cause of some alarm since about 1997. It is this
strain of bird influenza, which first surfaced in Hong Kong,
that has been known to pass from
infected birds to humans and thus far has resulted in the
death of more than 50% of those that have become infected by it. Although some
cases are suspected, H5N1 is not known to pass easily from person to person
however a great fear is that it will mutate
into an even more virulent and contagious strain that more easily infects humans and
will therefore be capable of spreading more
rapidly. Should this happen, the virus will have
progressed from being an avian disease to being a human one. Humans will have no natural resistance to
such new mutations and the result, it is feared, will be a severe global flu
outbreak, a pandemic.
Currently, There is No Human Bird Flu Vaccine Available!
Scientists and pharmaceutical
companies are constantly working hard to create vaccines
against all types of flu and usually have a great deal of success in doing so.
However, one major hurdle that they face with the current pandemic flu threat is that at this stage they
simply don't know what form any new mutations of H5N1 will take.
Therefore, it is impossible for them to formulate a vaccine
for what is essentially an unknown flu variant.
When a human outbreak does
occur, the strain can be identified quickly but some months will be needed to
both create an effective vaccine and to prepare sufficient stocks of it. This will be a highly critical period whereby vaccines
will be in high demand but short supply. During this time it will be essential
to remain alert to any influenza cases that occur in your locality and to
take precautionary action in order to give yourself every chance of avoiding
infection. Be warned; if a major outbreak occurs in your area, the Government
may deem it necessary to enforce a movement ban whereby people will be unable
to leave their homes. You will need to be prepared for any such eventuality by
keeping emergency food reserves. Other essentials may include the following:
-
Face masks, the Nano type are said to offer the
best protection since they provide a snug fit
-
Disinfectant
-
Antiviral Drugs. Though largely unproven, it is
thought that Antivirals, such as Tamiflu, may be capable of combating new
strains of flu viruses.
-
Latex gloves may prove useful
For more information, see our section on Bird Flu
Frequently Asked Questions and be sure to visit this site again soon for
more news on the current bird flu situation!!
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