Aren't you worried about catching Bird Flu?
I heard that question a few months ago, very early on, perhaps even January. And it's lingered in my mind, we're worried about but I don't know how to answer it. So today, the topic of the day is Bird Flu.
Bird Flu is the common term for Avian Flu, aka Avian Influenza, Avian Virus and H5N1 (current strain)
WHAT IS BIRD FLU????
There are >15 strains of Bird Flu routinely infecting birds around the world. The current strain, H5N1, is highly contagious among birds and rapidly fatal. Unlike many other strains of avian influenza, it can be transmitted to humans, causing severe illness and death. However, it is NOT YET capable of transmitting from human to human.
Bird flu is not the same as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), they share symptoms but SARS is caused by completely different viruses.
WHAT IS THE GLOBAL CONCERN ALL ABOUT????
Flu viruses are highly unstable and have the ability to mutate rapidly, potentially jumping from one animal species to another. Scientists fear the bird flu virus could evolve into a form that is easily spread between people, resulting in an extremely contagious and lethal disease.
This would result in a virus that people had never been exposed to before. With no immune defenses, the infection could cause devastating illness, such as occurred in the 1918-1919 Spanish flu pandemic, which killed an estimated 40 million to 50 million people worldwide.
HOW IS CAN BIRD FLU SPREAD????
Infected birds spread it through saliva, nasal secretions and feces.
Human cases have been blamed on direct contact with infected poultry and their droppings.
IT COMES FROM BIRDS, CAN I STILL EAT BIRDS????
Yes, but countries currently with outbreaks should take precautions, in areas free of the disease, poultry can be consumed as usual.
The H5N1 virus is sensitive to heat. Normal cooking temperatures (at least 165 F in all parts of the food) will kill the virus. So in other words, don't eat raw poultry or poultry products!!!!!
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BIRD FLU AND 'NORMAL' FLU????
Bird Flu results in persistent fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches, shortness of breath and acute respiratory distress. Patients can develop viral pneumonia, multiple organ failure, especially in the lungs and kidneys, and other severe and life-threatening complications in a matter of days.
'Normal' Flu results in Fever, cough, running nose, muscle pain. Therefore, respiratory problems are your first sign of a difference, but only a test at a doctor's office can tell the difference.
Bird Flu is categorized as a potential Flu Pandemic, capable, worst case, of a 50% mortality rate.
'Normal' Flu has a 2% mortality rate... equating to 500,000 people per year.
ARE THERE ANY VACCINES????
Not currently against the H5N1 virus. However, once scientists identify a virus causing a pandemic, they can quickly make a vaccine. HERE'S THE KICKER, the United States does not have the manufacturing capability to turn out enough vaccine to protect the nation in less than a year.
BASIC QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:
Q-will a flu shot protect me? A-No
Q-Should I put off travel to foriegn countries? A-No, but avoid bird markets
WHAT'S THE CHANCE OF A PANDEMIC????
It's not possible to predict if any flu virus will mutate to pass easily between people. But based on historical cycles, humans are due for a widespread influenza pandemic. So most experts say the question is not whether it will happen, but when.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'BASED ON HISTORICAL CYCLES' WE'RE DUE????
Flu pandemics are a 'routine' part of world history, showing up every few decades or more. In the last 100 years, there have been 3 human flu pandemics.
1918 -Spanish Flu Pandemic (aka H1N1 Avian Virus) kills 20-50 million worldwide and 550,000 in the US alone.
1957 -H2N2 avian virus kills 100,000 worldwide
1968 -H3N2 avian virus kills 700,000 worldwide, both the 1957 and 1968 avian flu pandemics were believed to have started from an avian virus mutating in humans causing transfer between humans.
1997 -H5N1 isolated for the first time in a human patient in Hong Kong. The virus infects 18 patients who had close contact with poultry, resulting in six deaths. Fortunately, the virus does not spread from person to person. Within three days, Hong Kong's entire chicken population is slaughtered to prevent further outbreak.
2001-2004 -additional outbreaks occur in China, Korea, Netherlands, Taiwan, Vietnam, Japan, PAkistan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philipines, North Korea, Delaware, Texas, New Jersey, Maryland, Canada, Malaysia, all various forms of Bird Flu, but not all from H5N1.
2004 -Avian Flu responsible for the deaths of various animals including ducks, chickens, dogs and a rare clouded leopard in a zoo in Thailand.
2005 -a total of 50,000,000 chickens have died of the flu or been slaughtered. the flu exists in 10 countries, many with human cases.
2005 -Avian flu found in Siberia, Tibet, Kazhakstan, Turkey, Romania, Iran, England, Croatia, Sweden, Kuwait, Ukraine, Nigeria, Azerbijan, Greece, Italy, Bulgaria, Austria, Germany, Egypt, India, Bosnia, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Denmark, Isreal, Jordan, Niger, Cameron,
2006 -A total of >170 people infected and >100 have died since the outbreak in the late 90's.
BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW THIS CURRENT OUTBREAK WAS SO 'GLOBAL'!
So are we concerned about Bird Flu, yes, but we are more concerned that in our lifetime we'll see a Flu Pandemic in general. But we aren't worried about Bird Flu as it relates to our travel in China. Afterall, as long as we follow normal flu precautions like washing hands, watching contact with others and avoiding any time in bird markets we are out of the risk zone. And since we didn't really have our heart set on touring a market with dead birds hanging all over, I think we're gonna be ok :)
Ok, now for a little lighthearted humor... BIRD FLU HITS TRAILER PARK IN FLORIDA, NEWS AT 11.
1 comment:
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