General information regarding Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) by Groshan Fabiola

The World Health Organization (WHO) makes reports and updates regarding new human cases of infection with bird flu. The only subtype that can cause severe illness to people is Influenza A /H5N1 virus, initially it affects chickens, ducks and other birds by the process of mutation they can become highly pathogenic. Because highly pathogenic viruses can survive for long periods in tissue, water and in the environment, especially when temperatures are low is transmitted very easily in chickens and other birds through direct contact with feces and secretions from infected birds, eggs, feed, water, cages equipment, vehicles and clothing. Public health authorities monitor human illnesses associated with avian influenza. In Hong-Kong occured for the first time infection both in humans and poultry and were killed about 1.5 million chickens.

In China and Hong-Kong avian influenza A (H9N2) virus infection affected two children who recovered. The source was unknown, but suspected the poultry.

In Virginia, 2002 an outbreak of H7N2 among poultry was descovered but,with no human victims. Canada, 2004: human infections among poultry workers with H7N3.

Thailand and Vietnam human infections with H5N1. Azerbaijan, Cambodia, China, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Thailand, Turkey, 2006: Human infections with H5N1 occurred as a result of contact with infected poultry and with infected death swangs. Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam, 2005 two persons have been infected with H5N1 as result of consuming uncooked duck blood. China two cases of patogenic infections with avian influenza A (H5N1) have been confirmed in a family travelling through China. Netherlands, 2003 were reported outbreaks of influenza A (H7N7) in several farms, after which in pigs and people, 90 people were confrmed with bird flu virus H7N7 in association with cases of eye conjunctivitis, one death occured at a veterinarian with acute respiratory distress syndrome and other complications after having direct contact with infected poultry. In New York, 2003 there has been registered one case a patient with respiratory symptoms which recovered in few weeks and tests confirmed it had been avian influenza A (H7N2) virus. Signs and symptoms of bird flu in humans are similar to other influenza viruses: sore throat and cough, fever, muscle weakness and/or pain, eye infections, with life-threatening complications such as: severe viral pneumonia, respiratory distress syndrome, multi- organ failure.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration suggests the following antiviral agents supposed to prevent and treat avian influenza: amantadine, rimantadine, oseltamivir, and zanamivir. They may be not always effective it has been demonstrated that viruses are resistent to amantadine and rimantadine. In the United States they are not in use any more for the treatment or prevention (prophylaxis) of influenza A. Specialists are monitoring the resistence of avian influenza A viruses to influenza antiviral medications.

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Bird flu is still a threat for humanity by Groshan Fabiola

Bird flu, also known as avian influenza is a disease which affects the birds, especially the poultry, in different extents. The bird flu is produced by subtypes of influenza A virus and it sheds in the wild birds which transmit the virus to the poultry. The H5N1 subtype is considered to be the most pathogenic virus from all the subtypes of influenza A virus.

Chicken, ducks and turkeys get infected if they get in contact with discharges from infected birds, infected water, and infected vehicles. The eggs can also contaminate the incubator if they are from infected hens.
The birds which survive the infection can spread the virus for another period of at least 10 days through secretions, discharges and feathers.

The virus can easily spread in the area if a contaminated bird is left to roam freely; if it drinks water from the place other birds drink, this way contaminating the water. Cars can spread the virus also from one place to another if they are not disinfected properly. Shoes, cages and clothing are also a way of spreading the virus.

Humans can get infected if they get into close contact with ill birds. People who transport poultry, who feed them and clean the place the birds live in, are exposed to the virus if the birds are infected. Eating cooked chicken meal is not dangerous as the virus gets inactivated at heat.
Until now human to human transmission was not encountered.

The governments are concerned that the virus could mutate and achieve the ability of transmitting itself from one person to another. This could lead to a global pandemic and millions of people might die. Also, if this problem is not solved quickly the poultry industry will suffer and the economy of the country will drop.

In chicken the bird flu gives these symptoms: diarrhea, muscle weakness, breathing problems, sudden deaths, facial swelling, and a decline in the egg production.

In humans the symptoms of bird flu are: fever, muscle pain, sore throat and then cough, breathing problems and multi-organ failure in the last stage of the disease.

As there are so many diseases which manifest very much alike with bird flu the doctors must be very careful when diagnosing bird flu. If the patient got into close contact with a sick bird, or handles bird cages, laboratory tests will be done to see exactly if there is a bird flu infection.
There has not been yet discovered an effective vaccine against bird flu virus. The only thing humans can do is take a shot for a human influenza virus to prevent the recombination between the bird flu virus and human flu virus which could form a more threatening virus.

In order to prevent bird flu people must avoid getting into close contact with birds or their discharges; must not buy any living bird illegally as they are not controlled by the veterinaries, must report any suspect death of a bird to the authorities, and must disinfect properly after handling bird products.

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Is it possible a global pandemic because of bird flu? by Groshan Fabiola

Since 2003 poultry and other birds have been continuously affected by the bird flu virus. Humans also got affected and it seems that since 16 January 2007, 267 cases of human bird flu infection were registered. These patients got into close contact with infected birds and that is why they got infected too. 161 persons from the group of 267 did not survive the contamination.
Until now scientists declared that the virus is still unable to transmit from human to human, but the population is still concerned about the avian flu as there is a possibility for the virus to mix with a human flu virus and then pass from human to human.

All viruses have the possibility to mutate or mix with other viruses and transform in to more dangerous ones. In case this thing happens a global pandemic can occur and millions of people will die if researchers do not fid an effective vaccine soon.

Until now governments have instituted flu immunization programs to protect those who work with poultry and can contact the virus if the poultry is affected.

This vaccination program is voluntary but until now all the personnel from the poultry industry has presented for a shot. This vaccine is protecting humans from catching the flu human type of virus and so it reduces the possibility for the bird flu virus to mix with a human virus and transform into a more dangerous one. This seasonal flu vaccination does not protect humans against the bird flu virus.

As scientists tell us the bird flu is a disease which affects birds and is highly contagious among them. It is produced by the influenza A viruses. Birds can be mild affected by some viruses and so they develop only mild symptoms, but they can also be severe affected by other viruses which lead to their death. It seems that the bird flu virus is one of the most pathogenic strains of virus that can affect a bird.

The virus is shed in feathers, droppings and secretions of birds and so it can easily spread to other birds and even humans through inhalation or ingestion.

The most affected birds are the poultry. It seems that the wild birds like ducks and geese are the carriers of the virus but they do not have any symptoms of the illness. These birds are spreading the virus to the poultry which will develop the disease as they are more vulnerable to epidemics.

The influenza A virus has many different subtypes. The H5 subtypes along with the H5N1 are considered to be quite dangerous and are a threat to humans. The H7 and H9 also caused severe infections in poultry but none of them was as dangerous as H5N1 is.

The outbreak of H5N1 began in mid-December 2003 in poultry from South Korea and until now it has affected birds from Asia, Europe, Middle East and Africa. This virus resembles very much with the one that caused a lot of damage among poultry in 1997 in Hong Kong.

The world governments have instituted controls in order to prevent illegal importation of dead poultry, of living birds or illegal entries of ill persons in certain countries.

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What is the impact of avian influenza in birds? by Groshan Fabiola

Avian influenza, also known as bird flu is a contagious disease among birds, caused by the influenza A virus. The H5N1 subtype is considered to be the most pathogenic virus from all the subtypes of influenza A virus. This means that the disease is severe, has a sudden onset, and rapid death.

The most resistant birds are the wild ones, who shed the virus in their organism and then spread it to poultry. Chicken, ducks and turkeys get infected if they get in contact with discharges from infected birds, infected water, and infected vehicles. The markets of live birds are also responsible for the virus's spread.

In 1983-1984 in the US another virus affected poultry. The H5N2 virus was low pathogenic but during 9 months it mutated and became highly pathogenic. During that epidemic 13 million birds died or were destroyed.

The virus can easily spread in the area if a contaminated bird is left to roam freely; if it drinks water from the place other birds drink, this way contaminating the water. Cars can spread the virus also from one place to another if they are not disinfected properly. Shoes, cages and clothing are also a way of spreading the virus.

This is why the infected farms need to be put under quarantine and the exposed flocks to bird flu need to be destroyed, to prevent the virus from spreading to other farms and other parts of the country.

This virus is in a continuous genetic development and as time goes by our treatment options become more and more restrained. Scientists need to move fast in finding an effective vaccine against bird flu, because the viruses have the ability of changing their status and of developing very fast, gaining even the possibility of transmitting themselves from one person to another.
The strain virus can swap or "reassort" genetic materials and merge with another virus. This can lead to a more pathogenic form of a virus and can affect humans if the new virus contains genes from a human influenza virus. This will also cause a transmission of the disease from human to human.

Until now scientists knew that the mixing between bird flu virus and human flu virus can be made if both viruses are found during the same time inside pigs. But now it seems that humans can also become mixing vessels for viruses.

Normally the bird flu virus only infects birds and pigs but in 1997 in Hong Kong human cases of infection were registered. 18 people were affected and 6 of them died.

Humans can get infected if they get into close contact with ill birds. People who transport poultry, who feed them and clean the place the birds live in, are exposed to the virus if the birds are infected. Eating cooked chicken meal is not dangerous as the virus gets inactivated at heat.
In order to prevent a pandemic, governments decided to destroy all birds that got infected, to disinfect farms, cars, cages and any other object that could pass the virus from one place to another.

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Bird flu virus is now known to have evolved in two forms by Groshan Fabiola

What was only a supposition, now it is proven, that the bird flu virus has evolved in two strains that are distinct genetically speaking. This is not good news as it might cause even more deaths among humans and the researchers will have to work double for finding an effective vaccine against these two forms of bird flu virus.
Between the year 2003 and 2005, US scientists have been collecting and analyzing more than 300 samples of H5N1 virus taken from infected birds and humans. They discovered that in 2003 and 2004 the human and bird population was affected by the same type of virus that was active in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. But in 2005 a new strain of H5N1 virus appeared and infected people from Indonesia. This virus is in a continuous genetic development and as time goes by our treatment option become more and more restrained.

Since 2003 the virus affected 180 people and killed 100 from all over the world. Doctors are afraid that a pandemic could start if the virus is not kept under control and hope that this virus will remain a bird virus and will not change into a human one. If the virus gains the ability of transmitting itself from human to human then the whole world population is in danger.
Fortunately, according to the scientists those two forms of the virus do not have the possibility of spreading easily from on person to another.

Until now the US scientists have been trying to find a vaccine that will kill both viruses. The vaccine will be 100% definitive once the exact form of a pandemic virus is known. The scientists believe that one vaccine could offer partial protection against the other type of virus strain if it works against the first one.

Scientists need to move fast because the viruses have the ability of changing their status and of developing very fast, gaining even the possibility of transmitting themselves from one person to another.

The thing is that no one had expected for the virus to travel around the world so easily and to mutate so fast creating another strain. But scientists are confident that by keeping the virus under control in birds they can find a suitable vaccine in a year or two. As long as the governments work together and help each other there is no need for panic as there is still hope for a cure.

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